Powell, Colin

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(b. April 5, 1937) Four-star general, secretary of state under President George W. Bush.

Colin Luther Powell, born in New York City on April 5, 1937, has served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as secretary of state (2001–). The younger of two children born to Luther and Maude Powell, Jamaican immigrants, Powell attended City College of New York and excelled in the ROTC program. After receiving his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army in 1958, Powell embarked on an impressive military career. With President Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 to desegregate the United States Military, issued in 1948, and the ensuing Cold War he discovered that more opportunities existed in the military for African Americans than in civilian society. Equally important was Powell's love of soldiering. He embraced the structure, camaraderie, and sense of family in the army infantry.

Powell progressed through the military ranks and served two tours in Vietnam in 1962–1963 and 1968–1969, earning a Purple Heart among many other citations. His service in Vietnam as well as the civil rights movement at home shaped Powell's philosophy on military policy and race relations. It was not lost on Powell that, as he fought an increasingly unpopular war abroad, his wife Alma and son Michael were exposed to violence at home in Birmingham, Alabama. He left Vietnam committed to a military career. In future leadership roles he combined military preparedness with thoughtful compassion for the soldier, a policy known as the Powell doctrine.

During peacetime, Powell's military career flourished with civilian and political appointments. He completed a master's degree in business administration at George Washington University and served as a White House fellow during the Nixon administration in 1972. While stationed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Powell discovered the history of the Buffalo Soldiers, the forgotten black soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry. His personal crusade to restore their contributions to American history culminated in the unveiling of a memorial statue in 1992. Although Powell has consistently maintained a genuine appreciation of his ethnic heritage, he has often transcended race by not allowing it to become a burden.

In 1987 President Ronald Reagan appointed Powell his national security advisor, the first African American to fill that position. In 1989 Powell was named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the youngest first African American and first ROTC graduate to be named to the highest position in the Department of Defense. In this position, Powell played a key role in the successful invasion of Panama. His reputation remained unscathed during the Iran-Contra Affair.

Powell's Vietnam experience shaped his policy decisions and was evident in his leadership role during the Persian Gulf War in 1991. He clearly articulated the goal of the military mission in his famous comment: "Our strategy for going after this [Iraqi] army is very, very simple. First we are going to cut it off, and then we are going to kill it." Yet he emerged from the war as a "reluctant warrior" for his decision to end military operations before Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was overthrown. Powell's decision reflected his desire to fight quick, decisive engagements without exposing young American soldiers to unnecessary conflict. Queen Elizabeth of England knighted Powell as the Commander of the Bath for his role in the Persian Gulf War.

Powell continued under President Bill Clinton as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He did not agree with Clinton on expanding gay rights in the military and developed a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that tolerated gay soldiers who did not reveal themselves as such. In 1993 Powell retired from the military after thirty-five years of service, but he was quickly called back to duty in 1994. President Clinton asked Powell to join an American delegation seeking to bring about a peaceful change of power in Haiti. In 1995 Powell published his autobiography, My American Journey. The book's, and its author's,

popularity among both Democrats and Republicans led to speculation about a bid for the presidency. Powell announced in November 1995 that he would not pursue elective office.

In 2001 Powell was sworn in as the first African-American secretary of state. As President George W. Bush's emissary abroad, he advocated spreading more democracy as America's major foreign policy goal. Powell played a key role in shaping policy in the second war with Iraq by making a convincing presentation to the United Nations in February 2003 that weapons of mass destruction did exist in Iraq and that UN inspections should be resumed. Considered one of the most moderate members of the Bush cabinet, he maintains prestige abroad. At home, he is widely respected by a broad spectrum of Americans for his service to his country and his commitment to excellence in all professional endeavors.

Bush, George H. W.; Bush, George W.; Clinton, William Jefferson; Race and Military; Reagan, Ronald.

Powell, Colin L., with Persico, Joe. My American Journey. New York: Random House, 1995.

Roth, David. Sacred Honor: A Biography of Colin Powell. New York: HarperCollins, 1993.

Means, Howard. Colin Powell: Soldier/Statesman-Statesman/Soldier. New York: Donald I. Fine, 1992.

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