Roberta McCain

Roberta Wright McCain (born February 7, 1912) is the widow of Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. (married from 1933 to 1981) and mother of Arizona Senator and former Republican presidential candidate John S. McCain III.

Background

Roberta Wright and her twin sister, Rowena, were born in Muskogee, Oklahoma on February 7, 1912. Her parents, Archibald Wright, a Los Angeles oil wildcatter, and Myrtle Fletcher, were married in Cleburne, Texas, on June 18, 1901.

Family

On January 21, 1933, she married Admiral John S. McCain, Jr. in Caesar's Bar, Tijuana, Mexico.

Roberta McCain had three children. Sandy McCain Morgan, John S. McCain III, and Joe McCain, a dinner theatre actor.^{[Citation Needed]}

Her son, John, was held as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half years. When notified upon his release on March 15, 1973, that he had shouted expletives at his captors, Mrs. McCain's response was, "Johnny, I'm going to come over there and wash your mouth out with soap."

John McCain has said of his mother: "My mother was raised to be a strong, determined woman who thoroughly enjoyed life, and always tried to make the most of her opportunities. She was encouraged to accept, graciously and with good humor, the responsibilities and sacrifices her choices have required of her. I am grateful to her for the strengths she taught me by example." [1]

Roberta McCain is still active at age 96. She has campaigned during her son's 2008 presidential campaign.

References

• McCain's Mother, CNN, February 28, 2000.
• Shaping Character and Destinies: John McCain, National Public Radio, by Terry Gross, December 6, 2005.
• McCain highlights mother's age on Mother's Day May 14, 2007.
• Play of the Day: McCain's Mom on Mormons, November 9, 2007
• Ancestry of Sen. John McCain
• "The Firecracker", Style.com (condensed version of article for Vogue). August 2008.