Colin Powell
Biography
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colin Luther Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in Harlem New York, to Luther Theophilus and Maud Ariel Powell. Both his parents immigrated from Jamaica to the United States before he was born.
Powell's family lived in a multiethnic section of the South Bronx when he was young. There he attended elementary and secondary schools, graduating from Morris High School in 1954. He then enrolled City College of New York, a college for the children of New York's newest citizens, where he earned a B.S. in geology in 1958. While at City College, he joined the ROTC, becoming company commander of the Pershing Rifles, and commander of the entire CCNY Army ROTC. He received a commission as a second lieutenant upon graduation. His basic training was at Fort Benning , Georgia.
In 1962, he married Alma Vivian Johnson, the daughter of a high school principal, in Birmingham, Alabama. The Powell's have three children, Mike, Linda and Annemarie.
Shortly after their marriage, Powell went to South Vietnam as a military adviser. In 1968, he returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty, this time as a battalion executive officer in the Americal Division. For his service in war, he was awarded a Purple Heart.
Upon his return to the United States, Powell entered George Washington University, graduating with an MBA in 1971. The next year, Powell was honored with a White House Fellowship. After a series of high-level positions in and out of the military, Powell served the Carter Administration as an executive assistant in both the Energy and Defense Departments.
During the Reagan Administration, Powell was chosen as senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger, and later held his first Cabinet post when, in 1987 Reagan appointed him National Security Advisor. This was the most important advisory position in the United States on matters affecting national security, such as environment, trade, the defense budget, and education.
In 1989, Powell reached the pinnacle of his profession when President George Bush named him Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most powerful military position in the world. Powell emerged as the key advisor to Bush and as the architect of Operation Desert Shield, which was designed to move American and international forces and materials to the Middle East to execute the most intricate and high-tech military campaign in history: Operation Desert Storm. In March
1991, the global alliance of forces had defeated the Iraqis, with General Powell earning much of the credit for the military success.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Professional History
B.S., City College of New York, 1958.
Commission 2nd Lieutenant, 1958.
Served as Advisor in Vietnam, 1962.
Returned to Vietnam as executive officer for the 23rd Infantry
Division (AMERICAL), 1968.
M.B.A., George Washington University, 1971.
Selected as White House Fellow, 1972.
Commander of 1st Battalion, 32d Infantry in Korea, 1973.
Commander of 2d Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, 1976.
Senior Military Assistant to Deputy Secretary of Defense,
1977-1980..
Assistant Division Commander for Operations and Training, 4th
Infantry Division (Mechanized), 1981.
Senior Military Assistant, Secretary of Defense, 1983-86..
Commander V Corps, Frankfurt Germany, July 1986.
President's National Security Advisor, 1987-88.
Commander in Chief, U.S. Forces Command, 1989.
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1989-1993.
Received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal with two Oak
Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Service Medal (Army), the Bronze
Star, the Purple Heart and other awards. |
