The curious admiration of Marilyn Monroe for Adlai Stevenson
Marilyn Monroe and Adlai Stevenson, Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic candidate in 1952 and 1956, losing both times to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Stevenson was a cultured, idealistic politician, known for his moderate tone and focus on diplomacy, education, and civil rights. Marilyn Monroe, on the other hand, was also a Democrat, although she is best known for her friendship and support of John F. Kennedy. Many conspiracy theories have been created around their connection—most of them proven false—but what is true is that Marilyn and President Kennedy were friends, and she deeply admired him. However, this article is not about Kennedy, but about Marilyn and Adlai Stevenson. Few people know that there was any kind of connection or friendship between them, but indeed there was. After all, Stevenson was a leading figure in the Democratic Party, and Marilyn, as a Democrat herself, felt drawn to his intellect, ideals, and pacifist nature.
As I mentioned before, Adlai Stevenson was the Democratic candidate in 1952 and 1956, running against Dwight D. Eisenhower and losing both times. Stevenson shared some continuity with Harry S. Truman’s policies but also promoted new ideas. In economic matters, he supported a model of social liberalism similar to Truman’s and the general line of mid-20th-century Democrats: a market economy with a significant role for the state in social protection, especially in combating poverty, healthcare, and education. Regarding civil rights, Stevenson supported racial equality and opposed segregation in the South, although he did not reach the level of commitment that Kennedy would later show. During the McCarthy era and the “witch hunts,” Stevenson stood out as a strong critic of the movement, considering it an attack on civil liberties. McCarthyism affected especially former communists from the 1930s who were no longer active, as well as liberals, progressives, and democratic socialists, more than active communists, who were very scarce in the United States. In this respect, Stevenson clearly differed from Truman, who took a more cautious or moderate stance. In foreign policy, Stevenson was considerably more pacifist than Truman, with a vision closer to the international détente later promoted by Kennedy. Additionally, he was a politician with a strong intellectual foundation, an eloquent speaker, and a defender of rational debate over populism. This kind of thinking and values were very much in line with Marilyn Monroe’s sympathies, as she supported progressive ideas and admired political figures who represented culture, intelligence, and pacifism.
Nowadays, it is very common for celebrities to support political candidates in the United States, and at that time it was also relatively frequent. Adlai Stevenson received support from several stars close to Marilyn, such as Frank Sinatra or Lauren Bacall. However, Marilyn did not publicly endorse Stevenson. She was very private about her personal life and also about politics. We know that Marilyn had a certain interest in politics, although she was never a full expert and had many other topics that interested her more. She hardly spoke about politics in public, except at the famous Happy Birthday, Mr. President event, where she not only sang but also publicly praised Kennedy and his administration. Later, in her final interview, she spoke positively about this event. Marilyn also showed admiration for Abraham Lincoln. In 1955, she attended an event about Lincoln in Belleville, Illinois, praising him even as a father figure for her and posing for photos with a portrait of him. When Arthur Miller had to testify before the HUAC, Marilyn publicly defended him, albeit mildly, admitting she did not know much about politics, which was true at the time. Years later, in her final interview, she spoke about this incident with greater passion.
In another interview, she mentioned that among the people she admired most were President Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy, and Eleanor Roosevelt. In the same conversation, she confessed that her greatest fear was the hydrogen bomb. Apart from this, Marilyn made a few public comments that could be interpreted as supportive of civil rights, and little else. Although Marilyn spoke little about politics in public, some media did report on her stances. For example, when Miller testified before the HUAC, one outlet mentioned that Marilyn was considered a favorite among left-leaning intellectuals. In 1960, she accepted the position of alternate delegate in Roxbury for the Democratic caucus, although she did not attend the event; media reported that some of her Democratic friends tried to persuade her to participate.
In any case, Marilyn was not a communist; she was a Democrat. Although Stevenson’s platform appealed to her —since it was similar in several ways to Kennedy’s platform, and Marilyn was delighted with Kennedy’s program— she did not publicly endorse Stevenson. She probably refrained from doing so because she was reserved, because she was a superstar and did not want to take a public political stance that might alienate her more conservative fans as well as those on the left of the Democratic Party, and also because, as she herself said at the time, she did not know much about politics, so she had little interest in doing so.
However, although Marilyn did not publicly endorse Stevenson, privately the situation was quite different. Marilyn wrote a letter to Lester Markel in March 1960 in which she discussed politics extensively. At that time, Marilyn had a greater interest in politics; this was just before the 1960 elections, and she commented on certain politicians she liked and disliked, including Stevenson. Marilyn said something very interesting: Stevenson could have made it if he had spoken to the people instead of to professors. By “made it,” Marilyn meant that Stevenson could have won the elections and become president. This makes clear that she liked Stevenson and would have wanted him to win, but she was also critical: for Marilyn, Stevenson’s excessive intellectualism was what caused him to lose the elections. Personally, I don’t fully agree with Marilyn, as the Democrats had been in power for 20 years and the Republicans were practically guaranteed to win due to Democratic fatigue. However, Marilyn, who admired politicians close to the people like Lincoln or Kennedy, considered Stevenson not sufficiently connected to the public, which contributed to his defeat. To further show her appreciation for Stevenson, in this same letter Marilyn outlined an ideal, utopian government. She proposed William O. Douglas as president, John F. Kennedy as vice president —although at that time she did not know him well, she believed that as a Catholic he could help attract Catholic voters to Douglas despite his being divorced— and finally, she suggested Stevenson as Secretary of State, a perfect role for an intellectual politician.
However, Marilyn not only admired Adlai Stevenson, but she also got to meet him in person. This happened after the famous Happy Birthday Mr. President event, which was, after all, a Democratic Party gathering. Following the event, a party was held at Arthur Krim’s house, a gathering of Democrats, and it was there that Marilyn and Stevenson met. However, no friendship developed between them, unlike the one Marilyn had with Kennedy.
Marilyn’s admiration for Stevenson is little known, but no less interesting for that. I am probably the first person to write an article on this topic, and I hope you find it enjoyable.
References
"Faith In Liberalism". Adlai Today. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
"Adlai Stevenson's Lasting Legacy | Wilson Center". www.wilsoncenter.org. 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
maumauleite (2012-09-03). Marilyn Monroe Happy Birthday. Retrieved 2025-10-24 – via YouTube.
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