Ursula Meese has a long and distinguished history of professional and humanitarian service to women, children, military service personnel, and the disabled.

A graduate of University of the Pacific and Radcliffe-Harvard Program in Business Administration, Ursula began her career in California as a Deputy Probation Officer. She subsequently served as a member of the San Diego County Grand Jury and as Director of the William Moss Institute, a public policy institute affiliated with American University. Until her retirement, Ursula worked for many years as Development Consultant to the Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Operation Job Match, a training and job placement service for the handicapped in Washington DC.

Mrs. Meese has also served in several advisory and community volunteer capacities. She was a member of the Attorney General’s Task Force on Family Violence at the U.S. Department of Justice during the Reagan Administration. She worked with Jeane Kirkpatrick on the U.S. Delegation to Central Africa’s women in development programs. She has also served on the Board of Trustees for the Multiple Sclerosis Society National Capital Chapter, American University, Marymount University, and the World USO.

She has been honored with the San Francisco USO’s Woman of the Year award and the San Diego USO’s Leadership Award, the Multiple Sclerosis Society National Capital Chapter’s Hope Chest Award for Humanitarian Service and the Leadership Award, and Marymount University’s Mother Phelan Award for Humanitarian Service.

A mother of three, Mrs. Meese lives with her husband in Virginia and continues to be actively involved. In addition to this Institute, she serves on the Boards of the Space Shuttle Children Fund and the Trinity Forum Academy in St. Michaels, Maryland.  At both our Conservative Women’s Network and Western Women’s Summit, Mrs. Meese shared memories of her friendship with Clare Boothe Luce, offering unique insight into the life of the woman for whom this Institute is named.