Condoleezza Rice, born in 1954, Birmingham, Alabama, is an American educator and politician, and the first African American woman to serve as national security adviser and secretary of state to George W. Bush.
Rice earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Denver in 1974, her master’s from the University of Notre Dame in 1975, and her Ph.D. from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies in 1981. That same year, she joined Stanford University as a political science professor.
In 1986 she served as an assistant to the Joint Chiefs of Staff on nuclear strategy, and was director for Soviet and Eastern European affairs for the National Security Council (NSC) and a special assistant to President George W. Bush.
After two years, Rice left her White House job to return to Stanford. In 1993, she was appointed provost of Stanford University, becoming the first African American, first woman, and youngest person to hold that position. She eliminated the university’s budget deficit in just two years.
In 1999, Rice left Stanford to become foreign policy adviser to the presidential campaign of George W. Bush, then she was named head of the NSC.
Rice helped lead the response to the attacks of September 11, 2001. “We did what we knew to do, but by definition, it was not enough… I will always carry deep personal remorse for the pain that you, the families of the fallen, still feel, and for the trauma that our country endured,” Rice stated.
After this event, the focus of American foreign policy shifted to the Middle East, and Rice was an early proponent of the US invasion of Iraq.
In 2005, George W. Bush appointed Rice secretary of state. She also restructured the State Department, reopened nuclear talks with North Korea, and worked on shaping American and international policy toward the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.
After leaving office in 2009, Rice returned to Stanford University, and she later became director of the school’s Hoover Institution.
“I think my father thought I might be president of the United States. I think he would’ve been satisfied with secretary of state. I’m a foreign policy person and to have a chance to serve my country as the nation’s chief diplomat at a time of peril and consequence, that was enough,” she added, “I’ll go back and be a happy Stanford faculty member, and, obviously, I’ll do what I can to help this ticket. But my life is in Palo Alto. My future is with my students at Stanford and in public service on issues that I care about like education reform.”
Ask us! What questions do you have about content, strategy, pop culture, lifestyle, wellness, history or more? We may use your question in an upcoming article!
Like MediaFeed’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was syndicated by MediaFeed.co
