The Three Lives of Shirley Temple: Actress, Mother, and U.S. Ambassador

From the silver screen to the White House, Mrs. Shirley Temple Black served the world’s stage with her charm and steadfast perseverance.

James Dunn and Shirley Temple's publicity shot for "Bright Eyes."

She was the adorable little girl whose movies brought Americans much-needed joy and hope during the Great Depression. She was Hollywood’s top box office star four years in a row, a record unequaled before or since. By 1935, Shirley was the second most popular girl’s name in the country, and dolls bearing her likeness outsold all others.

Even the president was a fan. “As long as our country has Shirley Temple,” Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated, “we will be all right.” But Shirley’s acting career was just the beginning of her trailblazing, patriotic accomplishments.