(born 1937). Late in the 20th century Colin Powell became one of the most respected figures in the United States. He served as top military adviser to President George Bush and as secretary of state in the government of President George W. Bush. Powell was widely admired for his integrity and his efforts to achieve cooperation in difficult situations.

Early life

Colin Luther Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in New York City. He was the son of Jamaican immigrants. Powell attended public schools and went on to the City College of New York, where he was a cadet in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. He graduated in 1958 with a degree in geology and a commission in the U.S. Army.

Military aide

Powell served in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. In Vietnam he earned medals for bravery, rescuing troops from a crashed helicopter. Powell received a degree in business administration from George Washington University in 1971. As an Army officer in the late 1970s and through most of the 1980s, Powell served with military units in the field and with high-level officials in Washington.

Soldier and statesman

In 1989 Powell was promoted to four-star general and was named chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the top position for a uniformed military officer. He was the first African American to occupy the post. Powell became well known during the Persian Gulf War of 1991. He was senior military spokesman for Operation Desert Shield, in which the United States and its allies freed Kuwait from the Iraqis. In the background, Powell urged military restraint, as he did through most of his career.

Powell retired from military service in 1993 and spent time writing an autobiography, My American Journey, which was published in 1995. He was also sent on special diplomatic assignments.

Powell became so popular by the 1990s that both major political parties urged him to run for president. In 1995 he declared himself to be a Republican, but he chose not to run for president. In 2001 President George W. Bush chose Powell for the senior cabinet position of secretary of state. Powell became the first African American to hold that position.

The biggest challenge Powell faced as secretary of state was the dispute between the United States and Iraq that eventually led to war. Powell tried to get the United Nations to back an attack against Iraq. He did not succeed in this, but the United States and its allies decided to attack anyway. Powell supported the decision and the war that began when U.S.–led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003. Powell announced in November 2004 that he would not continue as secretary of state during George W. Bush's second term as president.