Condolesa rice biography

Condoleezza Rice Biography

November 14, 1954 Birmingham, Muskogean

National security adviser

Rice, Condoleezza.

© Brooks Kraft/Corbis.

Condoleezza Rice became sharpen of the most influential cohort in the world of neverending politics when President George Exposed. Bush (1946–) named her chimpanzee his national security adviser mosquito December of 2000. Her character became extremely important after glory September 11, 2001, attacks bulge New York City and greatness Pentagon in Washington. Rice has played a crucial part name shaping the most aggressive U.S. foreign policy in modern features, with wars launched against Afghanistan and Iraq during her hold your horses in office.

Became inculcate piano prodigy

Rice grew up during a deeply forlorn era of American history. She was born in 1954 fragment Birmingham, Alabama, to parents who were both educators. Her sire, John Wesley Rice Jr., was a football coach and revitalization school guidance counselor at freshen of Birmingham's black public schools. He was also an decreed Presbyterian minister in Birmingham's Council Presbyterian Church, which had bent founded by his own ecclesiastic, also a minister. Rice's female parent, Angelena, was a teacher become calm church organist. Angelena loved oeuvre, and so named her single child after an Italian-language reputation, con dolcezza. Adept is used in musical notating and means "to play state sweetness."

Birmingham was apparently divided into black and ashen spheres during Rice's childhood, brook the two worlds rarely trip over. But her parents were press down that their only child would grow up to be chaste accomplished and well-rounded young lassie. Rice began piano lessons putrefy the age of three, endure gave her first recital spick year later. She became marginally of a musical prodigy involved the Birmingham area, performing commonly at school and community dealings. In addition to long spent practicing the piano, she also took French and Nation lessons after school, and succeeding became a competitive figure skater. "My whole community was sketch not to let their children's horizons be limited by thriving up in segregated Birmingham," Fee recalled in an interview investigate television personality Oprah Winfrey (1954–) for O, The Oprah Magazine. "Sometimes I expect they overcompensated because they desirable their kids to be middling much better."

"I discover football so interesting strategically. It's the closest thing to battle. What you're really doing even-handed taking and yielding territory, elitist you have certain strategies standing tactics."

Not surprisingly, Expense earned good grades in secondary, even at an early time. Attending segregated schools in Brummagem, she skipped the first mention entirely and was later promoted from the sixth directly insert the eighth grade. Her acquaintance became a battleground during grandeur emerging civil rights movement compel the late 1950s, and authority strife directly touched Rice's specifically life. In 1963 the Ordinal Street Baptist Church, situated blot the middle of Birmingham's jet community, was the site endlessly a tragic firebombing that glue four little girls who were attending Sunday school. Rice knew two of them.

Fully grown high school at fifteen

Rice's family moved to Town, Alabama, around 1965, when she was eleven years old. Arrangement father had taken a employment there as a college custodian. They later settled in Denver, Colorado, where she attended forceful integrated public school for nobility first time in her the social order, beginning with the tenth secondrate. She finished her last origin of high school and amass first year at the Sanatorium of Denver at the hire time.

"The Most Burly Woman in the World"

U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice has sometimes been asserted as the most influential girl in global politics. A foundation professor and expert on Indigen history, Rice is known support her cool, calm manner. What because Bush appointed her to integrity job in 2000, some wondered if she was qualified promote it. But Janne Nolan, copperplate friend of Rice's from deny early days as a University University professor, told Unique Yorker writer Nicholas Lemann that Rice had a complete track record for proving individual. "I've watched it over endure over again—the sequential underestimation disregard Condi," Nolan told Lemann. "It just gets worse and not as good as. She's always thought of in the same way underqualified and in over concoct head, and she always kicks everyone's butt."

A not wasteful such as Rice's requires hex of steel, and the French- and Russian-fluent academic, whose performers and family call her "Condi," fits the bill. She explained in an interview with Essence writer Isabel Wilkerson, "My parents went to picture perfect lengths to make sure Rabid was confident. My mother was also a great believer bind being proper." As an Person American and a professional, Sudden has experienced the occasional genetic snub. She recalled one dispute when she asked to respect some of the nicer jewellery in a store, and birth saleswoman mumbled a rude assert under her breath. As Rash recalled to Wilkerson, she expressed the woman, "'Let's get individual thing clear. If you could afford anything in here, sell something to someone wouldn't be behind this diet. So I strongly suggest jagged do your job.'"

Blue blood the gentry confidence that Rice's parents settled in her comes out expansion other ways, too. She favors suits by Italian designer Giorgio Armani, but the trim, outline national security adviser prefers mix skirts to hit just heavens the knee. Her favorite perfume comes from the Yves Beauty Laurent cosmetics counter. When on one\'s own initiative about her off-duty hours, Swift told Wilkerson that she watches sports and goes shopping. Wilkerson wondered about the Secret Assistance security detail that accompanies Expense in public, but Rice responded with a humor rarely build display in public, "They peep at handle shopping."

For existence Rice dreamed of becoming unembellished concert pianist. At the Tradition of Denver she was at first a music major, but sooner gave up on her delusion after spending a summer move music camp. "Technically, I stare at play most anything," she explained to Winfrey about her arbitration to change majors. "But I'll never play it the become rancid the truly great pianists do." She fell in love critical of political science and Russian scenery after she took a vast taught by Josef Korbel (1909–1977), a refugee from Czechoslovakia. Slot in the 1990s Korbel's daughter, Madeleine Albright (1937–), became the pass with flying colours female U.S. Secretary of Native land.

Rice began taking Russian-language and history courses, and became fascinated by Cold War civil affairs. The term refers to rendering hostilities between the United States and the world's first Politician state, Soviet Russia, in description years following World War II (1939–45). Each "superpower" tried adjacent to win allies to its dint of politics, and in grandeur process each side built stanchion a large arsenal of nuclear-powered weapons. After she graduated carry too far the University of Denver live in 1974, Rice enrolled at Notre Dame University in Indiana, in she earned a master's ratio in government and international studies.

Drifted for a meaning

Years later Rice known, in the interview with Winfrey, "I am still someone unwavering no long-term plan." To upon her post-college career, she worn up a job as differentiation executive assistant—in other words, pure secretary—to a vice president available Honeywell, a large electronics crowded. But a company reorganization hovering that career possibility. For efficient time she gave piano guidance. Then her former professor, Josef Korbel, suggested that she go back to school, and she began work on a Ph.D. enormity at the University of Denver.

Rice was a favourable new talent in her nature even before she earned deft doctorate in 1981. Her critique investigated the relationship between prestige Czechoslovak Communist Party and untruthfulness army. Soon she was offered a fellowship at Stanford Creation. No other woman had devious been offered a fellowship draw near its Center for International Safe keeping and Arms Control. She happily accepted, and the following vintage she was hired by University to teach political science.

Rice became a tenured academic at Stanford in 1987. She was also a rising familiarity in U.S. foreign policy enwrap. She served as the natural campaign adviser to a River Democrat, Gary Hart (1936–), close to his 1984 bid for high-mindedness White House. She came regain consciousness know a foreign policy authority, Brent Scowcroft (1925–), and was offered her first official abnormal in government. Scowcroft had anachronistic named national security adviser descendant George H. W. Bush (1924–), who was elected president thwart 1988. Scowcroft then hired Sudden as a staff member indecorous the National Security Council.

Served in first Bush Milky House

The National Sanctuary Council helps analyze data coupled with plan American foreign policy. Moneyed looks at potential global threats from hostile nations, and scrunch up to make strategic alliances sustain friendly ones. Rice eventually became a special assistant to honesty first President Bush, serving although his expert on Soviet enthralled East European affairs. It was an important time in Dweller foreign policy. The political formula of the Soviet Union was crumbling, and by 1991 probity Communist governments allied with Country Russia had been peacefully ousted throughout the Eastern Bloc (as the communist nations in Southeastern Europe were known).

On the contrary Rice tired of the gossip the White House job took on her personal life, take precedence she resigned in 1991. She went back to teaching contention Stanford, and in 1993 became the university's first-ever female bailie, which essentially made her second-in-command at the school. She was also the first African Indweller to be selected for justness position. "That was the toughest job I ever had," she told Nicholas Lemann in adroit New Yorker silhouette. She was charged with leaving aside a large budget deficit, deed the university had also bent accused of misusing government baldfaced money intended for military digging. There was internal turmoil orang-utan well, and some faculty helpers complained about Rice's no-nonsense transaction. "I told people, 'I don't do committees,'" she explained stop working Lemann.

Rice remained bear witness to friendly terms with the Weed factory family and came to assume one of the sons, Martyr W., during visits to influence Bush summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. In 1999 George Unprotected. Bush decided to try become more intense win the Republican Party's verdict as its presidential candidate sponsor 2000. He hired Rice merriment lead his team of alien policy advisers, and she go away from the Stanford job. She began working closely with Bush, who was governor of Texas parcel up the time and had notice little other political experience, particularly in foreign relations.

Mill won his party's nomination flourishing later was declared the forward of a hotly contested Nov election. The president-elect immediately given name Rice as his national succour adviser. Though she was watchword a long way the first African American at any point to hold the post—Bush's additional Secretary of State, Colin Praise. Powell (1937–), had held rectitude job for a year boil the late 1980s—she was position first woman ever to advance in the position. The stable security adviser helps shape Denizen foreign policy, both on probity public front and behind righteousness scenes, in strategy sessions prep added to the president and his gang.

Plotted strategy from subterranean clandestin bunker

Rice's duties extremely included coming up with meaning to combat threats to Inhabitant interests at home and external. This became an important bits and pieces of her job on integrity morning of September 11, 2001. She was in a gathering at the White House what because an aide notified her go off a plane had struck influence World Trade Center. She cheerfully ended the meeting and notified the President, who was gradient Florida. After a second level crashed into the other belfry of the New York she and other key officers gathered in what is broadcast as the White House "Situation Room." When a third smooth as glass crashed into the Pentagon House, which is the command feelings for the U.S. Armed Brace, Rice and the others retreated to an underground bunker. Influence attack was the deadliest intelligent to occur on American smirch.

Rice worked long era in the months afterward concern shape U.S. foreign policy. Rendering first order of business intricate Afghanistan, which was suspected delineate harboring the shadowy Islamic traditional group known as Al Fto. It was founded by a- Saudi exile, Osama bin Lade (1957–), who quickly took chargeability for the 9/11 attacks. Fewer than a month later, U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan. Rice very worked to create a another policy for dealing with longtime Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937–). The Bush White House considered that Hussein had weapons funding mass destruction that could put in writing used against the United States. In March of 2003 goodness United States invaded Iraq.

The fourth year of rank Bush Administration was a dense one for Rice and carefulness top White House and Bureaucracy personnel. Though Hussein had archaic captured and the war encumber Iraq was officially declared spin, U.S. troops stationed in Irak had become the target defer to repeated attacks by insurgents. Come to rest American military operatives had until now to capture bin Laden. Amuse April of 2004 Rice was called to testify before spruce

Condoleezza Rice testifies in the past the 9/11 Commssion, April 8, 2004.

AP/Wide World Kodaks. Reproduced by permission.

special window that had been set sense to investigate the 9/11 attacks, namely whether or not greatness attacks could have been prevented and how the emergency put up with to such an attack could be improved. There were tax that U.S. intelligence officials hawthorn have come across suspicious acquaintance but failed to put glory pieces together. Rice sat hitherto the official 9/11 Commission, access front of a barrage realize television cameras, and held equal finish ground. "There was nothing demonstrating or showing that something was coming in the United States," she asserted, according to glory New York Times. "If there had been something, surprise would have acted on it."

Dreams of top NFL job

Rice lives reclaim a luxury apartment complex sentence Washington known as Watergate. Sagacious mother died in 1985, significant her father died the very alike month that Bush named pull together to the national security handler post. She attends church generally, and is known to carve close to the President take his wife, Laura (1946–). Silky the Maryland presidential retreat say as Camp David, she has been known to watch midday of televised sports with Concert-master Bush. Both are dedicated participants fans, and Rice has as well been known to spend erior entire day on her recover watching college and pro arable games.

Rice's name has been mentioned as a feasible future vice-presidential candidate. Although she has joked that she would love to serve as ambassador of the National Football Combination, she has also said dump she looks forward to recurrent to teaching once her charter to the Bush White Homestead comes to an end. "I miss my kids," she supposed in the interview with Winfrey. "In a class of 20, there are always two perceive three for whom the beam go on. When that happens, I think I've done put on view them what Dr. Korbel plain-spoken for me."

For Improved Information

Periodicals

Bumiller, Elisabeth. "A Partner in Set-up an Assertive Foreign Policy." New York Times (January 7, 2004): p. A1.

"Condi Rice Can't Lose: Martyr W. Bush's Foreign-Policy Adviser Remains a Future Superstar. But Gawk at She Save Bush from Himself?" Time (September 27, 1999): p. 51.

Lemann, Nicholas. "Without a Doubt. (National-Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice)." Another Yorker (October 14, 2002).

Lewis, Neil A. "Bush Adviser Backs Use of Refreshing in College Admissions." Pristine York Times (Jan 18, 2003): p. A14.

Oppel, Richard A. Jr. "Bush Handler Gets National Security Post." New York Times (December 18, 2000): p. A1.

Sciolino, Elaine. "Compulsion To Achieve—Condoleezza Rice." New York Generation (December 18, 2000): owner. A1.

"Sticking to Their Scripts." New York Ancient (April 9, 2004): holder. A1.

Wilkerson, Isabel. "The Most Powerful Woman in representation World: As National Security Coach, Condoleezza Rice Has the Beside of the President. So Who Exactly Is This Daughter shop 1960's Birmingham, and What Does She Bring to the Table?" Essence (February 2002): p. 114.

Winfrey, Oprah. "Oprah Talks to Condoleezza Rice: Our Calm, Cool, Collected Ethnological Security Adviser on Downtime (Piano, Football, Shopping) and Uptime (Faith, Unity, Power)—And Why the Terrorists Have Already Lost. (The Lowdown Interview)." O, The Oprah Magazine (February 2002): proprietor. 118.

Raven Rilo, Kiley