Celebrating the Inspiring Legacy of Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Albright, the trailblazing public figure and the nation’s top diplomat under former President Bill Clinton, has died.
Born in Prague on May 15, 1937, in former Czechoslovakia, she came to the United States as an 11-year-old political refugee. Her immediate family narrowly escaped Hitler’s rise to power when they fled to London in 1938.
Below is a statement from the family of @Madeleine: pic.twitter.com/C7Xt0EN5c9
— Madeleine Albright (@madeleine) March 23, 2022
Albright studied political science at Wellesley College before marrying and starting her family. She earned a doctorate in public law and government from Columbia University in 1976 while raising her daughters. After her divorce, she became a fundraiser for prominent Democrats, serving as a foreign policy advisor for Representative Geraldine Ferraro and Governor Michael Dukakis during his 1988 presidential run.
President Bill Clinton named her ambassador to the United Nations in 1992. Her forceful position on intervention in Bosnia eventually led to Clinton choosing her as his next chief diplomat. She became the 64th Secretary of State in 1997 and was the first woman to assume the role.
As the first woman to serve as America’s top diplomat, Madeleine Albright was a champion for democratic values. Michelle and I send our thoughts to the Albright family and everyone who knew and served with a truly remarkable woman. pic.twitter.com/8jj3GYZXbB
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 23, 2022
The cause of her death was revealed to be cancer. She is survived by her three daughters and six grandchildren. In a statement, President Joe Biden wrote, “In every role, she used her fierce intellect and sharp wit…to advance America’s national security and promote peace around the world. America had no more committed champion of democracy and human rights than Secretary Albright, who knew personally and wrote powerfully of the perils of autocracy.”
We send our condolences to her family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time.
