Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright
Born	Marie Jana Korbelová 15 5, 1937
Birthplace	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Died	Template:Death date and age Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Diplomat, political scientist, professor
Known for	First female United States Secretary of State
Education	Columbia University (Ph.D.)
Children	3
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2012)

Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was a Czech-born American diplomat, political scientist, and author who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She was the first woman to hold that office and, at the time of her appointment, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the United States government. Born in Prague on the eve of World War II, Albright's early life was shaped by the upheavals of twentieth-century European history — her family fled Czechoslovakia twice, first from the Nazis and then from the communists, before settling in the United States. She built a distinguished career that spanned academia, government service, and international diplomacy over more than four decades. Before becoming secretary of state, Albright served as United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1993 to 1997. After leaving government, she remained active in foreign policy as a professor at Georgetown University, as chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group consulting firm, and as a member of the board of the Council on Foreign Relations. Albright was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2012. She died on March 23, 2022, at the age of 84, and was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Early Life

Madeleine Albright was born Marie Jana Korbelová on May 15, 1937, in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). Her father, Josef Korbel, was a Czechoslovak diplomat who served in the country's foreign service. The family's life was profoundly disrupted by the political convulsions that swept across Central Europe in the mid-twentieth century. When the Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, the Korbel family fled the country. Three of Albright's grandparents and other relatives perished in the Holocaust, though Albright did not learn of her Jewish heritage until decades later, when she was already serving as secretary of state.

After World War II, the Korbel family returned to Czechoslovakia, where Josef Korbel resumed his diplomatic career. However, the communist coup d'état of 1948 forced the family into exile once more. Albright was eleven years old when her family left Czechoslovakia for the second and final time. Josef Korbel sought political asylum in the United States, and the family settled in Denver, Colorado, where Korbel eventually joined the faculty of the University of Denver as a professor of international relations.

Growing up in Denver, the young Madeleine adapted to American life. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1957. Her father's career in diplomacy and academia had a formative influence on her intellectual development and her interest in international affairs. Josef Korbel went on to found the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver, and his scholarly work on Central European politics and diplomacy provided a backdrop for his daughter's eventual career.

Education

Albright attended Wellesley College, a prestigious women's liberal arts college in Massachusetts, where she studied political science. She graduated from Wellesley in 1959. She later pursued graduate studies at Columbia University in New York City, where she studied under Zbigniew Brzezinski, who would later serve as National Security Advisor under President Jimmy Carter. Albright earned her Ph.D. from Columbia in 1975, writing her doctoral dissertation on the role of the Czechoslovak press during the Prague Spring of 1968, the brief period of political liberalization in her homeland that was crushed by a Soviet-led invasion. Her academic training in both political science and Central European affairs provided the intellectual foundation for her subsequent career in government and diplomacy.

Career

Early Government and Academic Career

Albright's career in government began in 1976 when she became a legislative aide to Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine, who served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She worked for Muskie from 1976 to 1978, gaining her first direct experience in the intersection of domestic politics and foreign policy.

In 1978, Albright joined the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) under Zbigniew Brzezinski, her former professor at Columbia University, who was then serving as National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter. She served in that role until January 1981, when the Carter administration left office following the election of Ronald Reagan.

After leaving the NSC, Albright transitioned to academia. In 1982, she joined the faculty of Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where she became a professor of international affairs. Her position at Georgetown allowed her to remain engaged in policy debates while building a reputation as an expert on Central European affairs, the role of the United Nations, and American foreign policy more broadly. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Albright also served as a foreign policy advisor to several Democratic presidential candidates, which kept her connected to the party's policy apparatus and positioned her for future government appointments.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations

Following Bill Clinton's victory in the 1992 presidential election, Albright played a role in helping to assemble the new administration's National Security Council team. Clinton appointed her as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, and she assumed the post on January 27, 1993. In this role, Albright represented American interests at the United Nations Security Council and became a prominent voice on international issues including humanitarian intervention, the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, and the expansion of NATO.

As ambassador, Albright developed a reputation for blunt and forceful advocacy of American positions. She served in the role for four years, from January 1993 to January 1997, succeeding Edward J. Perkins and being succeeded by Bill Richardson. Her tenure at the United Nations coincided with several defining crises of the post-Cold War era, including the Rwandan genocide, the Bosnian War, and ongoing tensions with Iraq. Albright's performance at the UN raised her profile significantly and led to her elevation to the most senior diplomatic post in the U.S. government.

United States Secretary of State

On January 23, 1997, Madeleine Albright was sworn in as the 64th United States Secretary of State, becoming the first woman to hold the position. At the time of her appointment, she was the highest-ranking woman in the history of the United States government, as the secretary of state is fourth in the presidential line of succession. She succeeded Warren Christopher in the position and served with Strobe Talbott as her deputy secretary.

Albright's tenure as secretary of state was marked by several major foreign policy challenges and initiatives. She was an advocate for the expansion of NATO to include former Eastern Bloc nations, viewing it as essential to consolidating democratic gains in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. Under her leadership, the State Department oversaw the admission of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic to NATO in 1999.

One of the defining foreign policy episodes of Albright's time as secretary of state was the Kosovo War in 1999. Albright was among the strongest proponents within the Clinton administration of military intervention against Serbia to halt the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians by Serbian forces under President Slobodan Milošević. The NATO bombing campaign that followed, conducted without explicit United Nations Security Council authorization, was a controversial but ultimately successful effort to end the violence in Kosovo.

Albright also dealt extensively with the ongoing confrontation with Iraq under Saddam Hussein. The enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq's weapons programs and the sanctions regime were persistent issues throughout her tenure. In November 1998, tensions with Iraq escalated when Saddam Hussein obstructed UN weapons inspectors, leading to the bombing campaign known as Operation Desert Fox in December of that year.

During her time as secretary of state, Albright also addressed issues related to the handover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. She sought to balance engagement with China alongside concerns about human rights and democratic governance in the newly transferred territory.

Albright articulated a vision of the United States as the "indispensable nation" in world affairs, a phrase that became closely associated with her time in office. This concept reflected her belief that American leadership was essential to maintaining international order and advancing democratic values in the post-Cold War world. She served as secretary of state until January 20, 2001, when the Clinton administration ended and she was succeeded by Colin Powell.

Post-Government Career

After leaving government, Albright returned to Georgetown University, where she held the position of Michael and Virginia Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the School of Foreign Service. She continued to teach and mentor students in international affairs for the remainder of her life.

Albright also entered the private sector, founding the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy consulting firm based in Washington, D.C., which she chaired. The firm advised corporations and organizations on international business strategy and political risk.

She remained active in public policy discussions and international engagement. Albright served on the board of the Council on Foreign Relations, one of the most prominent foreign policy organizations in the United States. She also participated in efforts related to democracy promotion and conflict prevention. In one such capacity, she traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan, where she met with politicians, NGO activists, and media representatives to encourage democratic elections.

Albright was also elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She received honorary degrees from numerous institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Albright was a prolific author as well. She wrote several books on diplomacy, international affairs, and her own experiences in government, contributing to public understanding of American foreign policy and the challenges of the post-Cold War era.

Personal Life

Madeleine Albright was born into a family shaped by the political upheavals of twentieth-century Europe. Her father, Josef Korbel, was a Czech diplomat who later became a professor at the University of Denver. Albright grew up not knowing about her Jewish heritage; her parents had converted to Roman Catholicism and did not discuss the family's background. It was not until 1997, when she was already serving as secretary of state, that media reports revealed that three of her grandparents had died in the Holocaust. Albright stated that she had not been aware of these facts until they became public.

Albright had three children, including a daughter named Alice.

She became a United States citizen in 1957, twenty years after her birth in Prague. A member of the Democratic Party, Albright was active in Democratic politics throughout her career, both as a government official and as an advisor.

Albright died on March 23, 2022, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 84. The cause of death was cancer. She was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Recognition

Albright received numerous honors and awards over the course of her career. In May 2012, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in recognition of her contributions to American diplomacy and public service.

She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, reflecting her contributions to both scholarship and public affairs.

Albright received honorary degrees from multiple universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was also recognized by the Jefferson Awards for Public Service.

Her appointment as the first female secretary of state was itself a landmark in American political history, and it is commemorated annually on January 23, the anniversary of her swearing-in. The World Food Program USA recognized Albright's advocacy for women and girls around the world, noting her role as a mother of three daughters and her sustained engagement with issues affecting women's empowerment and global food security.

Albright's career was documented in the MAKERS project, which profiles notable American women.

Legacy

Madeleine Albright's career left a significant imprint on American foreign policy and on the representation of women in senior government positions. As the first woman to serve as secretary of state, she broke a barrier in one of the most prominent positions in the U.S. government and paved the way for subsequent female secretaries of state, including Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton.

Her articulation of the United States as the "indispensable nation" became one of the defining phrases of post-Cold War American foreign policy discourse, reflecting a period in which American global leadership was asserted with particular confidence. Whether in advocating for NATO expansion, pressing for intervention in Kosovo, or confronting Iraq over its weapons programs, Albright's tenure shaped the contours of American engagement with the world during a transformative period in international relations.

Albright's personal history — as a refugee from both Nazism and communism who rose to the highest echelons of American government — became part of the broader narrative of the American immigrant experience. Her story resonated as an illustration of the possibilities afforded by the United States to those who came to its shores fleeing persecution.

After leaving office, Albright continued to influence foreign policy through her teaching at Georgetown University, her consulting work through the Albright Stonebridge Group, and her writings. She remained an active commentator on global affairs and a participant in international democracy promotion efforts until her death in 2022.

The New York Times described her upon her death as "a brilliant analyst of world affairs" who had served as "an aggressive advocate" of President Clinton's foreign policy agenda. Her life and career are studied both as a chapter in the history of American diplomacy and as a case study in the advancement of women in public life.