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US Secretary of State Colin Powell
Colin Powell was born in New York City on April 5, 1937. General Powell
served as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department
of Defense, from October 1, 1989 to September 30, 1993, under both
President George Bush and President Bill Clinton. The son of Jamaican
immigrants, Powell was raised in the South Bronx. He was educated
in the New York City public schools, and at City College of New York
(CCNY). He participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission
as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation. He subsequently received
a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington
University. Powell served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and as a battalion
commander in Korea. He later commanded the 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne
Division (Air Assault) and V Corps, United States Army, Europe. Prior
to being named as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he served
as the Commander in Chief, Forces Command, headquartered at Fort McPherson,
Georgia. General Powell has been the recipient of numerous U.S. military
decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze
Star Medal, and the Purple Heart. His civilian awards include the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and an
honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Bath) from the Queen
of England. He retired from the U.S. Army in 1993. General Powell
was selected by President George W. Bush to serve as his Secretary
of State in January, 2001. Powell was the first African-American to
hold this high office in the United States Government. He stepped
down from the position after President Bush's reelection to a second
term. His four year tenure as Secretary of State was marked by disagreements
with other Administration officials over policy. Regardless of these
disagreements, Secretary Powell remained a loyal servant of the Bush
Administration and an eloquent spokesman for the Administration in
international affairs. Powell left his position as Secretary of State
with the admiration and respect of people around the world. The following
quotation from a February 20, 2004 address at Princeton University
provides an excellent example of Secretary of State Powell's statesmanship:
US Government profile page
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