The Commonwealth Institute

Madeleine Korbel Albright
Biography

Madeleine Korbel Albright served as the 64th Secretary of State of the United States. She was the first woman Secretary of State and is the highest ranking woman in the history of the US government.

Dr. Albright is the founder of The Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm.

Dr. Albright is the first Michael and Virginia Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and the first Distinguished Scholar of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan Business School. She is also the Chairman of The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Chair of The PEW Global Attitudes Project and President of the Truman Scholarship Foundation. Dr. Albright’s autobiography Madam Secretary: A Memoir will be published in September, 2003.

As Secretary, Dr. Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade and business, labor, and environmental standards abroad.

Accomplishments during former Secretary Albright’s tenure included the expansion and modernization of NATO and NATO’s successful campaign to reverse ethnic cleansing in Kosovo; the promotion of peace in the Balkans; the reduction of nuclear dangers from Russia; the expansion of democracy in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; the expansion of our multifaceted relationship with China including trade as well as human rights; and the growth of trade in the Americas, in Africa through the African Growth Opportunity Act, and through the conclusion of hundreds of other agreements that facilitated American business overseas. In June 2000, she and representatives from every region of the world convened the first ever conference of democracies.

Dr. Albright also prepared America’s foreign affairs institutions for 21st Century challenges. Under her leadership four Cold War bureaucracies merged into a single integrated operation. She reversed a decade-long drop in funding for America’s embassies and operations overseas, persuading Congress to increase funding by 17%.

From 1993 – 1997, Dr. Albright served as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of the President’s Cabinet and National Security Council. In 1995, she led the U.S. delegation to the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China.

Dr. Albright was the Director of Women in Foreign Service Programs and a Research Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University during the decade prior to her return to public service. From 1989-1992, she was President of the Center for National Policy, a non-profit public policy organization based in Washington D.C. As a professor, Dr. Albright wrote extensively on change in communist systems particularly on the role of the media.

From 1978-81, Dr. Albright was a member of President Carter’s National Security Council and White House staff. From 1976-78, she served as Chief Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie.

Dr. Albright received her B.A. with Honors, from Wellesley College, Masters and Doctorate from Columbia University’s Department of Public Law and Government, as well as a Certificate from the Russian Institute.

Dr. Albright was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and immigrated to America with her family after Communists took control of that country in 1948. She is the mother of three daughters and has six grandchildren.


		Madeleine Korbel Albright Biography Madeleine Korbel Albright served as the 64th Secretary of State of the United States. She was the first woman Secretary of State and is the highest ranking woman in the history of the US government. Dr. Albright is the founder of The Albright Group LLC, a global strategy firm. Dr. Albright is the first Michael and Virginia Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and the first Distinguished Scholar of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan Business School. She is also the Chairman of The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Chair of The PEW Global Attitudes Project and President of the Truman Scholarship Foundation. Dr. Albright’s autobiography Madam Secretary: A Memoir will be published in September, 2003. As Secretary, Dr. Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated democracy and human rights, and promoted American trade and business, labor, and environmental standards abroad. Accomplishments during former Secretary Albright’s tenure included the expansion and modernization of NATO and NATO’s successful campaign to reverse ethnic cleansing in Kosovo; the promotion of peace in the Balkans; the reduction of nuclear dangers from Russia; the expansion of democracy in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America; the expansion of our multifaceted relationship with China including trade as well as human rights; and the growth of trade in the Americas, in Africa through the African Growth Opportunity Act, and through the conclusion of hundreds of other agreements that facilitated American business overseas. In June 2000, she and representatives from every region of the world convened the first ever conference of democracies. Dr. Albright also prepared America’s foreign affairs institutions for 21st Century challenges. Under her leadership four Cold War bureaucracies merged into a single integrated operation. She reversed a decade-long drop in funding for America’s embassies and operations overseas, persuading Congress to increase funding by 17%. From 1993 – 1997, Dr. Albright served as the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of the President’s Cabinet and National Security Council. In 1995, she led the U.S. delegation to the UN’s Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. Dr. Albright was the Director of Women in Foreign Service Programs and a Research Professor of International Affairs at Georgetown University during the decade prior to her return to public service. From 1989-1992, she was President of the Center for National Policy, a non-profit public policy organization based in Washington D.C. As a professor, Dr. Albright wrote extensively on change in communist systems particularly on the role of the media. From 1978-81, Dr. Albright was a member of President Carter’s National Security Council and White House staff. From 1976-78, she served as Chief Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie. Dr. Albright received her B.A. with Honors, from Wellesley College, Masters and Doctorate from Columbia University’s Department of Public Law and Government, as well as a Certificate from the Russian Institute. Dr. Albright was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and immigrated to America with her family after Communists took control of that country in 1948. She is the mother of three daughters and has six grandchildren.