Colin Powell
Colin Luther
Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in Harlem, a neighborhood in the New York
City borough of Manhattan, to Jamaican immigrant parents, Maud Arial and Luther
Theophilus Powell. He also has Scottish ancestry. Powell was raised in the
South Bronx and attended Morris High School, a former public school in the
Bronx, from which he graduated in 1954. While at school, he worked at a local
baby furniture store where he picked up Yiddish from the shopkeepers and some
of the customers. He received
his Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the City College of New York in
1958 and was a self-admitted C average student. He was later able to earn a
Master of Business Administration degree from the George Washington University
in 1971, after his second tour in Vietnam. General Powell is the recipient of
numerous U.S. military awards and decorations including the Defense
Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Defense
Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star Medal,
and the Purple Heart. In 2000, President George W. Bush appointed Colin Powell
secretary of state, and Powell was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. At
that time, this was the highest rank in civilian government ever held by an
African-American. After the September 11
attacks, Powell's job became of critical importance in managing America's
relationships with foreign countries in order to secure a stable coalition in
the War on Terrorism. He had often clashed with others in the administration,
who were reportedly planning an Iraq invasion even before the September 11
attacks, an insight supported by testimony by former terrorism czar Richard
Clarke in front of the 9/11 Commission. The main concession Powell wanted
before he would offer his full support for the Iraq War was the involvement of
the international community in the invasion, as opposed to a unilateral
approach. He was also successful in persuading Bush to take the case of Iraq to
the United Nations, and in moderating other initiatives. Powell was placed at
the forefront of this diplomatic campaign. In 1989, President George H. W. Bush
appointed General Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. At age 52,
he became the youngest officer, and first Afro-Caribbean American, to serve in
this position. Powell was also the first JCS Chairman of the Joint Chief of
Staffs who received his commission through ROTC. During his career he was
promoted to brigadier general and commanded a brigade of the 101st
Airborne Division and then to general. Powell's experience in military matters made
him a very popular figure with both American political parties. Many Democrats
admired his moderate stance on military matters, while many Republicans saw him
as a great asset associated with the successes of past Republican
administrations. Put forth as a potential Democratic Vice Presidential nominee
in the 1992 U.S. presidential election or even potentially replacing Vice
President Dan Quayle as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Powell
eventually declared himself a Republican and began to campaign for Republican
candidates in 1995. In the 2000 U.S. presidential election Powell campaigned
for Senator John McCain and later Texas Governor George W. Bush after the
latter secured the Republican nomination Bush eventually won, and Powell was
appointed Secretary of State.
·
N.d.
n.p. Web. 6 Feb 2013.
<https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS519US519&q=colin
powell&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.41934586,d.aWc&biw=1280&bih=899&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=A6cSUd6REMf1ygH2noCYDg
·
Scholastic,
. "Biography of General Colin L. Powell." n. page. Web. 7 Feb. 2013.
<http://teacher.scholastic.com/barrier/powellchat/bio.htm>.
·
Biography,
. "Colin Powell biography ." n. page. Print. < http://www.biography.com/people/colin-powell-9445708?page=3>.
·
History,
. "Colin Powell." n. page. Print. < http://www.history.com/topics/colin-powell>.
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