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Helena Maria de Benyovszky (1921–1995) was a Hungarian noblewoman, philanthropist, and socialite who became a prominent figure in American high society through her marriage to George P. Shultz, the renowned economist and statesman who served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan. Born into the aristocratic Benyovszky family, with historical ties to Hungarian nobility and the 18th-century adventurer Count Maurice Benyovszky von Benyó et Urbanov, Helena fled Hungary during World War II amid political upheaval. She met Shultz in 1942 while working as a translator for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Washington, D.C., and they married in 1946, settling in the United States where she became a naturalized citizen. The couple raised five children and Helena supported Shultz's distinguished career in government and academia while dedicating herself to philanthropy, particularly in education, health, and cultural preservation causes.
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