ALBRIGHT, MADELEINE KORBEL

ALBRIGHT, MADELEINE KORBEL

Madeleine Korbel Albright served from 1997 to
2001 as U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, the government’s
highest-ranking foreign relations officer.
She has the distinction of being the first woman
to serve in this position. Albright, who has also
taught international affairs, has had a long association
with DEMOCRATIC PARTY presidential
candidates, advising them on foreign policy.
Albright was born on May 15, 1937, in
Prague, Czechoslovakia, the daughter of a Czech
diplomat. In 1939 her family left Czechoslovakia
for London, arriving shortly before the outbreak of WORLD WAR II. After the war ended in 1945,
the family returned to their homeland but left
again in 1948 following the Communist
takeover of the Czech government. The family
settled in the United States in 1949.
Albright earned a bachelor’s degree in political
science from Wellesley College in 1959 and
then studied at the School of Advanced International
Studies at Johns Hopkins University. She
then entered the graduate program at Columbia
University, receiving her master’s degree and
doctorate from the university’s Department of
Public Law and Government.While working on
her advanced degrees, Albright served in the
diplomatic corps, acting as counselor for economic
affairs at the U.S. embassy in Belgrade,
Yugoslavia, from 1969 to 1972. She also worked
for the EXPORT-IMPORT BANK.
After receiving her doctorate in 1976,
Albright joined the staff of Democratic Senator
Edmund S.Muskie of Maine, serving as his chief
legislative assistant until 1978. She became a
staff member of the NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
in 1978, serving President JIMMY CARTER
until he left office in 1981.
Albright shifted her focus in 1981 to academia.
She was awarded a fellowship at the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for
Scholars at the Smithsonian (1981-82), following
an international competition in which she
wrote about the role the press played in the
political changes that occurred in Poland during
the early 1980s. Her findings were published in
Poland, the Role of the Press in Political Change
(1983). Albright also served as a senior fellow in
Soviet and Eastern European Affairs at the Center
for Strategic and International Studies, conducting
research in developments and trends in
the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. From
1982 to 1993, Albright taught at Georgetown
University’s School of Foreign Service, lecturing
on international affairs, U.S. foreign policy,
Russian foreign policy, and Central and Eastern
European politics. She was also responsible for
developing and implementing programs
designed to enhance women’s professional
opportunities in international affairs. From
1989 to 1993, Albright was president of the Center
for National Policy, a nonprofit research
organization formed in 1981 by representatives
from government, industry, labor, and education
to promote the study and discussion of
domestic and international issues.
Albright began working with Democratic
presidential candidates in 1984 when she
advised Walter F.Mondale on foreign policy. She
served in a similar role for 1988 nominee
Michael Dukakis and did the same for BILL
CLINTON in 1992.After he was elected president,
Clinton named Albright chief U.S. representative
to the UNITED NATIONS, a cabinet-level
position.
After President Clinton was reelected in
1996, he made changes in his cabinet. In December
1996 Clinton nominated Albright as secretary
of state. After being unanimously
confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn in
as secretary of state on January 23, 1997.
The outspoken and dynamic Albright reinforced
U.S. alliances, promoted American trade
and business, and sought to establish international
standards on trade and HUMAN RIGHTS.
Albright advocated for the expansion and modernization
of NATO and helped coordinate
NATO’s successful campaign to end ethnic
cleansing in Kosovo. She helped to promote peace in Northern Ireland, the Middle East, and
the Balkans.
Albright sought the expansion of democracy
in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; she
traveled to China to promote trade with the
United States and also to address human rights
issues. In June 2000 Albright and representatives
from all over the world convened the first ever
Conference of the Community of Democracies.
Albright also led the fight to reverse a decadelong
drop in funding for U.S. embassies and
overseas operations by helping to persuade Congress
to increase funding by 17 percent.
In May 2001, Albright returned to Georgetown
University where she accepted an endowed
chair in the School of Foreign Service. She lectures
at COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES and has
appeared on numerous television news commentary
programs since leaving the STATE
DEPARTMENT.
FURTHER READINGS
Albright, Madeleine. 2003. Madam Secretary: A Memoir.
New York: Miramax.
Georgetown University. Available online at (accessed May 29, 2003).
Hirsh, Michael. 2000. “The Lioness in Winter.” Newsweek
(July 10).
Lippman, Thomas W. 2000. Madeleine Albright and the New
American Diplomacy. New York:Westview.
Special Libraries Association. Available online at (accessed May 29, 2003).