Rebecca Romney is a rare books expert and television personality who is best known for her work on the History Channel show ‘Pawn Stars’. She is also an author, a co-founder of a rare book company, and a book collecting prize initiator. But is she related to Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and the current senator of Utah who ran for president in 2012? The answer may surprise you.
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Who is Rebecca Romney?
Rebecca Romney (maiden name Rebecca Angeline Engeat) was born in Las Vegas in 1985. She grew up in a family of scientists and developed a passion for history and languages. She taught herself five languages: English, Japanese, Latin, Ancient Greek, and French. She graduated summa cum laude from Brigham Young University with a B.A. degree in English in 1971. She earned J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University in 1975.
Rebecca started her career as an investment consultant, but soon found her calling in the rare book industry. She joined Bauman Rare Books in Boston in 2007 and became the store manager. She was discovered by the History Channel in 2011 and was offered a role as a ‘Rare Books Expert’ on the reality show ‘Pawn Stars’. She appeared on the show from season 4 to season 15, appraising and authenticating various books and manuscripts brought to the pawn shop.
Rebecca also runs her own company, Honey and Wax Books, where she sources and sells rare books to clients. In 2017, she published her first book with Harper Collins titled ‘Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History’. She also co-founded the Honey and Wax Prize, an annual award for an outstanding book collection created by a young woman in the United States.
Rebecca is married to J.P. Romney, who works as a historical researcher and is also a young adult novelist. He has written the book ‘The Monster on the Road is Me’. They live in Philadelphia with their two dogs.
Who is Mitt Romney?
Mitt Romney (full name Willard Mitt Romney) was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1947. He is the son of George Romney, a successful business executive who managed American Motors from near bankruptcy to record profits and who later served as governor of Michigan and as secretary of housing and urban development under President Richard Nixon. Mitt’s mother, Lenore Romney, was also active in politics and ran for the U.S. Senate in 1970.
Mitt attended Stanford University, but interrupted his studies in 1966 to serve as a Mormon missionary in France for two years. He married Ann Davies in 1969; they have five sons. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. degree in English in 1971. He earned J.D. and M.B.A. degrees from Harvard University in 1975.
Mitt then moved into the private sector as an investment consultant. He spent most of the next 20 years with the Boston-based consulting firm Bain & Company and its investment-focused spin-off, Bain Capital, which he co-founded in 1984. During his time at Bain, Mitt acquired a multimillion-dollar fortune.
Mitt made his first run for public office in 1994, challenging Democratic incumbent Ted Kennedy for the U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts. He lost the election, but gained national recognition for his campaign. He returned to Bain Capital until 1999, when he was hired to rescue the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He successfully turned around the event and wrote a book about his experience titled ‘Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games’.
Mitt used his Olympic success as a springboard for his political career. He ran for governor of Massachusetts in 2002 and won the election. He served as governor from 2003 to 2007, during which he addressed the state’s budget problems, implemented universal health care for the uninsured, and created a scholarship program for lower- and middle-income students.
Mitt ran for president of the United States twice: first in 2008, when he lost the Republican nomination to John McCain; and second in 2012, when he won the nomination but lost the general election to Barack Obama. He remained active in politics after his presidential bids, endorsing and campaigning for various Republican candidates.
In 2018, Mitt announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in Utah vacated by Orrin Hatch. He won the election and took office in January 2019. He has been one of the few Republican senators who have been critical of President Donald Trump on some issues, such as foreign policy, trade, immigration, and impeachment.
The short answer is yes: Rebecca Romney and Mitt Romney are related, but not very closely. They are both descendants of Miles Romney, a Mormon pioneer who immigrated to the United States from England in 1841 and settled in Utah. Miles Romney had 12 children, who had many offspring. Rebecca and Mitt are both from different branches of the Romney family tree.
According to Rebecca’s husband, J.P. Romney, who researched their genealogy, Rebecca and Mitt are sixth cousins once removed. This means that they share a common ancestor who is six generations removed from them. In other words, Rebecca’s fifth-great-grandfather was Mitt’s fourth-great-grandfather.
Rebecca and Mitt have never met in person, but they have exchanged emails and phone calls. Rebecca has said that she respects Mitt as a politician and a person, but she does not agree with him on everything. She has also said that she is proud of her Romney heritage, but she does not define herself by it.
Conclusion
Rebecca Romney and Mitt Romney are both prominent figures in their respective fields: rare books and politics. They are also both members of the Mormon faith and have ties to Utah. However, they are not very closely related: they are sixth cousins once removed, which means that they share a common ancestor who lived in the 18th century. They have never met face to face, but they have communicated occasionally. They have different opinions on some issues, but they also have mutual respect for each other. They are both examples of how the Romney family has contributed to American society in various ways.
