Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Rumsfeld
Born	Donald Henry Rumsfeld 9 7, 1932
Birthplace	Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age Taos, New Mexico, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, businessman, naval officer
Known for	Serving as both the youngest and oldest United States Secretary of Defense; central role in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan
Education	Princeton University (AB)
Spouse(s)	Joyce Pierson (m. 1954)
Children	3
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977)
Website	[http://www.rumsfeld.com/ Official site]

Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, businessman, and military officer who served in prominent roles across four presidential administrations and left an indelible mark on American defense policy. He holds the distinction of being the only person to serve twice as United States Secretary of Defense—first as the 13th secretary under President Gerald Ford from 1975 to 1977, making him the youngest person to hold the office, and again as the 21st secretary under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2006, making him the oldest. A four-term U.S. Congressman from Illinois, Rumsfeld also served as director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, Counselor to the President, U.S. Representative to NATO, and White House Chief of Staff. Between his two stints at the Pentagon, he built a career in the private sector as chief executive of major corporations. His second tenure as defense secretary, during which he oversaw the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, became one of the most debated chapters in modern American military history.

Early Life

Donald Henry Rumsfeld was born on July 9, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a middle-class family and was raised in the Chicago suburbs. From a young age, Rumsfeld demonstrated competitive drive and academic aptitude. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, a well-regarded public school on Chicago's North Shore, where he was active in athletics, particularly wrestling.

Rumsfeld's formative years were shaped by the era of World War II and the early Cold War, experiences that instilled in him a strong sense of public service and national defense. His father had served in the United States Navy during World War II, and military service would become an important part of Rumsfeld's own early career trajectory.

After graduating from high school, Rumsfeld enrolled at Princeton University on a scholarship, where he studied political science. At Princeton, he was an active participant in campus life and continued his involvement in wrestling, competing on the varsity team. He graduated from Princeton in 1954 with an A.B. degree in political science.

Following his graduation from Princeton, Rumsfeld served in the United States Navy for three years as a naval aviator and flight instructor. He remained in the Naval Reserve after completing his active duty, eventually attaining the rank of Captain. His military service provided him with both discipline and a deep familiarity with defense matters that would define much of his subsequent career in public life.

Education

Rumsfeld's primary academic credential was his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Princeton University, earned in 1954. He also attended Georgetown University Law Center and the Case Western Reserve University for graduate-level coursework, though he did not complete advanced degrees at either institution. His Princeton education, combined with his naval training, formed the intellectual and professional foundation upon which he built his career in Congress, the executive branch, and the private sector. At Princeton, Rumsfeld was a member of the varsity wrestling team, and the competitive instincts he honed there would become a hallmark of his political and managerial style throughout his life.

Career

Congressional Career (1963–1969)

Rumsfeld launched his political career in 1962 when he ran for the United States House of Representatives in Illinois's 13th congressional district. He won the seat at the age of 30, beginning his first term on January 3, 1963. As a Republican congressman, Rumsfeld served four consecutive terms, establishing a reputation as a young, energetic legislator aligned with the moderate-to-conservative wing of the Republican Party. He was known for his interest in government reform and fiscal discipline.

During his time in Congress, Rumsfeld co-sponsored legislation and served on various committees. He was part of a cohort of young Republican members who sought to modernize the party and challenge the existing leadership. His congressional career came to an end when President Richard Nixon tapped him for an executive branch appointment in 1969, and he resigned his House seat on May 25, 1969. He was succeeded in the congressional seat by Phil Crane.

Nixon Administration (1969–1974)

Upon leaving Congress, Rumsfeld accepted an appointment from President Richard Nixon to serve as director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), a position he held from May 27, 1969, to December 11, 1970. The OEO was the federal agency responsible for administering many of the Great Society anti-poverty programs initiated under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Rumsfeld's appointment was viewed by some as an effort by the Nixon administration to manage and, in some cases, curtail the scope of these programs.

While heading the OEO, Rumsfeld hired a young political operative named Dick Cheney as a special assistant. This marked the beginning of a professional and political alliance that would span decades and reshape American foreign and defense policy. According to accounts of their initial meeting, Cheney's job interview with Rumsfeld was notably awkward, yet Rumsfeld recognized Cheney's abilities and brought him into his inner circle.

In December 1970, Rumsfeld was elevated to the position of Counselor to the President, a role that carried Cabinet-level status. In this capacity, he advised Nixon on domestic policy matters. From October 1971 to February 1973, he served as director of the Cost of Living Council, overseeing the Nixon administration's Economic Stabilization Program, which included wage and price controls implemented in response to inflationary pressures.

In February 1973, Rumsfeld was appointed as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO, a posting that took him to Brussels, Belgium. He served in this diplomatic role until September 1974, gaining significant experience in international security affairs and alliance management during a period of Cold War tension.

Ford Administration (1974–1977)

In August 1974, following Nixon's resignation amid the Watergate scandal, Rumsfeld was called back to Washington by the new president, Gerald Ford. On September 21, 1974, Ford appointed Rumsfeld as White House Chief of Staff, a position in which he played a central role in organizing the new administration and managing the transition of power. As chief of staff, Rumsfeld was instrumental in shaping the Ford White House's operations and had significant influence over personnel decisions and policy priorities.

Rumsfeld recruited Dick Cheney to serve as his deputy in the chief of staff's office, and when Rumsfeld departed the position, Cheney succeeded him. This arrangement cemented the Rumsfeld-Cheney partnership as one of the most consequential in modern Republican politics.

On November 20, 1975, Ford nominated Rumsfeld to succeed James R. Schlesinger as United States Secretary of Defense. At 43 years of age, Rumsfeld became the youngest person ever to hold the position. His first tenure at the Pentagon was focused on managing the post-Vietnam War drawdown of American military forces, modernizing defense capabilities, and maintaining readiness during the Cold War. He served as secretary of defense until the end of the Ford administration on January 20, 1977.

Before leaving office, Rumsfeld was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ford in 1977, recognizing his years of public service.

Private Sector Career (1977–2001)

After the Ford administration ended with Ford's defeat in the 1976 presidential election, Rumsfeld moved into the private sector. He was named president and chief executive officer of G. D. Searle & Company, a major pharmaceutical corporation based in the Chicago area. During his tenure at Searle, Rumsfeld oversaw the company's operations and helped guide it through a period of significant corporate activity, including the successful effort to gain Food and Drug Administration approval for the artificial sweetener aspartame.

Rumsfeld later served as chief executive officer of General Instrument Corporation from 1990 to 1993, leading the company during a period of technological change in the cable television and communications equipment industry. From 1997 to 2001, he served as chairman of the board of Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company.

During this period, Rumsfeld also remained active in public policy circles. In 1983–1984, he served as President Ronald Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East, a brief diplomatic assignment focused on the Lebanese Civil War and broader regional security issues. In this capacity, he traveled to Baghdad and met with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, a meeting that would later attract considerable scrutiny given the U.S. invasion of Iraq two decades later.

In 1998, Rumsfeld chaired the Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States, commonly known as the Rumsfeld Commission, which concluded that several nations, including North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, could develop intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities within five years of a decision to do so. The commission's findings influenced subsequent American missile defense policy.

Second Tenure as Secretary of Defense (2001–2006)

On January 20, 2001, Rumsfeld was sworn in as secretary of defense for a second time, appointed by President George W. Bush. At 68, he became the oldest person to serve in the role, a contrast to his record as the youngest when he first held the office. Upon his return to the Pentagon, Rumsfeld embarked on an ambitious agenda to transform the American military, seeking to make it lighter, more agile, and more technologically advanced—a program he termed "military transformation."

September 11 Attacks and the War in Afghanistan

The September 11 attacks of 2001 fundamentally altered the trajectory of Rumsfeld's second tenure. On that day, Rumsfeld was in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building. He assisted with rescue efforts before returning to his duties to begin organizing the American military response.

In the weeks that followed, Rumsfeld played a central role in planning and overseeing the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001. The military operation, known as Operation Enduring Freedom, aimed to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime that had harbored its leadership. The initial campaign, which relied heavily on special operations forces, airpower, and cooperation with Afghan Northern Alliance fighters, toppled the Taliban government relatively quickly.

Rumsfeld's approach to the Afghan war reflected his broader vision of military transformation—using smaller, more mobile forces rather than the large conventional deployments that had characterized earlier American military operations. This approach drew both praise for its initial effectiveness and criticism for what some analysts argued was an insufficient force level to secure the country and capture al-Qaeda's senior leadership.

Iraq War

Rumsfeld's most consequential and controversial actions as secretary of defense centered on the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In the months leading up to the invasion, Rumsfeld was among the senior administration officials who publicly argued that Iraq under Saddam Hussein possessed active weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and posed a threat to the United States and its allies.

A report by the Department of Defense Inspector General later found that Rumsfeld's top policy aide had "developed, produced, and then disseminated alternative intelligence assessments on the Iraq and al-Qaeda relationship, which included some conclusions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the Intelligence Community, to senior decision-makers." No stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq after the invasion.

The invasion of Iraq began on March 20, 2003. As with Afghanistan, Rumsfeld favored a comparatively lean invasion force, overriding some military commanders who had advocated for larger troop numbers. The initial conventional campaign succeeded rapidly in toppling Saddam Hussein's government, but the subsequent occupation was beset by a growing Iraqi insurgency, sectarian violence, and a lack of post-war planning that many critics attributed in part to Rumsfeld's management of the war effort.

Abu Ghraib and Detainee Treatment

Rumsfeld's tenure was further marked by the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, which became public in April 2004 when photographs depicting the abuse and humiliation of Iraqi detainees by American military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison were released. The scandal prompted international condemnation and raised questions about U.S. detainee treatment policies.

Rumsfeld offered his resignation to President Bush twice in the wake of the Abu Ghraib revelations, but it was not accepted at that time. Critics charged that policies approved at the highest levels of the Defense Department, including the use of harsh interrogation techniques, had created conditions that led to the abuses. The controversy over detainee treatment, including practices at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, remained a central point of criticism throughout the remainder of Rumsfeld's tenure.

Resignation

As the situation in Iraq deteriorated and public opinion turned against the war, Rumsfeld faced increasing calls for his resignation from members of both political parties, including a group of retired generals who publicly criticized his leadership in what became known as the "Generals' Revolt" of 2006.

On November 8, 2006, one day after the midterm elections—in which the Republican Party lost control of both the House and Senate, with the Iraq War as a major campaign issue—President Bush announced that Rumsfeld would step down as secretary of defense. He was replaced by Robert Gates. Rumsfeld's last day in office was December 18, 2006.

Retirement and Later Life

Following his departure from the Pentagon, Rumsfeld established the Rumsfeld Foundation, focused on supporting microfinance, public service, and educational programs. He also founded a private consulting firm.

In 2011, Rumsfeld published his autobiography, Known and Unknown: A Memoir, a detailed account of his career spanning multiple decades. He later authored Rumsfeld's Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life, which compiled aphorisms and principles he had collected throughout his career.

Rumsfeld remained a public figure in his retirement years, occasionally giving interviews and commenting on defense and foreign policy issues. He maintained a personal website where he made many of his government papers publicly available.

Personal Life

Rumsfeld married Joyce Pierson on December 27, 1954. The couple remained married for more than six decades until his death. Together they had three children.

Rumsfeld was known in political circles by the nickname "Rummy." Colleagues and associates described him as intensely competitive, intellectually sharp, and demanding of those who worked for him. His management style, characterized by probing questions and the extensive use of written memoranda he called "snowflakes," became well known within the defense establishment.

Donald Rumsfeld died on June 29, 2021, at his home in Taos, New Mexico, at the age of 88. His family announced that the cause of death was multiple myeloma. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Upon his death, President George W. Bush released a statement describing Rumsfeld as "a man of intelligence, integrity, and almost inexhaustible energy" who "never paled before tough decisions, and never flinched from responsibility."

Recognition

Rumsfeld received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Gerald Ford in 1977, in recognition of his government service.

Throughout his career, Rumsfeld received numerous other awards and honors associated with his military and government service. As a former secretary of defense, he was recognized by the Department of Defense as a significant figure in the institution's history, noted particularly for the distinction of being the only person to serve twice in the role and for holding the records as both the youngest and oldest to occupy the office.

Rumsfeld's public profile extended into popular culture and media. He became known for his memorable press conference appearances during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, during which his direct, sometimes combative, style of engagement with journalists drew significant public attention. His comment about "known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns" during a February 2002 press briefing entered the popular lexicon and was widely discussed in philosophical and epistemological contexts.

The television network PBS and its documentary series Frontline produced multiple documentaries examining Rumsfeld's influence on American defense policy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Director Errol Morris also produced the 2013 documentary film The Unknown Known, which consisted largely of interviews with Rumsfeld about his career and decision-making.

Legacy

Donald Rumsfeld's legacy remains a subject of significant debate among historians, military analysts, and political commentators. His career in government spanned more than four decades, encompassing service in Congress, multiple executive branch positions under four presidents, and two separate tenures leading the Department of Defense.

Supporters credited Rumsfeld with efforts to modernize and transform the American military, arguing that his push for a lighter, more technologically advanced force was prescient and necessary. His leadership in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the initial military campaign in Afghanistan were cited as examples of effective crisis management and military innovation.

Critics, however, focused on the Iraq War, the failure to find weapons of mass destruction that had been cited as the primary justification for the invasion, the insufficient planning for post-war Iraq, and the detainee abuse scandals that emerged during his tenure. The Iraq War's human and financial costs, the regional instability it produced, and the damage to America's international reputation were laid at least partly at Rumsfeld's door by many analysts and former officials.

Upon his death, reactions reflected this divide. Former President Bush praised his service, while human rights organizations and critics pointed to the detention and interrogation policies over which he presided. Al Jazeera reported that reactions to his death highlighted the deep divisions his tenure had produced, with some commentators emphasizing the words "abuse and torture" in connection with his legacy.

The professional and political partnership between Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney, which began with a job interview at the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1969 and extended through the George W. Bush administration, was recognized as one of the most influential relationships in modern American political history. Their collaboration shaped Republican defense and foreign policy thinking for a generation.

Rumsfeld's career—from young congressman to two-time defense secretary to corporate executive—reflected the intersection of American political, military, and business leadership in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Whether viewed as a reformer or a figure whose decisions led to costly strategic errors, Rumsfeld's impact on American defense policy and the post-9/11 era remained undeniable.