Donald Rumsfeld

Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) has been the Secretary of Defense of the United States since January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. He is the 21st Secretary of Defense, and he is the oldest person to have held that position. He served under President Gerald Ford as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977, making him also the youngest person to have held the job.

Affiliation History

Institutional Affiliations

• Center for Security Policy: Longtime associate; winner of the CSP's 1998 "Keeper of the Flame" award (5)
• Hoover Institution: Member, board of trustees
• Project for the New American Century: Signed PNAC's founding statement of principles as well as two policy letters on Iraq
• Freedom House: Board member
• RAND Corporation: Board member
• Committee for the Free World: Former chairman

Government Posts/Panels/Commissions

• U.S. Commission to Assess National Security Space Management and Organization: Chairman (2000)
• U.S. Ballistic Missile Threat Commission: Chairman (1998)
• Secretary of Defense (1975-77)
• White House Chief of Staff in Ford administration (1974-75)
• U.S. Ambassador to NATO (1973-74)
• U.S. Congress: Representative from Illinois (1962-69)
• U.S. Navy: Various posts, including aviator (1954-57); reserves (1957-1975)

Corporate Connections/Business Interests

• Gilead Sciences pharmaceutical company: Chairman (until 2001)
• General Instrument Corporation: Chairman and CEO (1990-93)
• G.D. Searle pharmaceutical company: CEO/Chairman/President (1977-1985)
• Bechtel Corporation: Was involved in Iraq-Bechtel negotiations in the 1980s on a pipeline project
• Gulfstream Aerospace: Former director
• Tribune Company: Former director
• Metricom, Inc.: Former director
• Sears, Roebuck and Co.: Former director
• ABB AB: Former director

Education

• Princeton University: A.B. (1954)