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		HISTORY ON C-SPAN.ORG Secretaries of Defense The careers of five Secretaries of Defense are higlighted through biographical information as well as historic newsreels, press conferences and interviews seen on C-SPAN's American Profiles and Booknotes. HISTORY OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

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OVERVIEW | HISTORY | FORRESTAL
MARSHALL | MCNAMARA
CHENEY | RUMSFELD

Vice president of the U.S.

Born January 31, 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska

Served under Presidents Nixon, Ford, George H.W. Bush and
m now George W. Bush

Earned a BA and MA from the University of Wyoming

Worked in the office of Wisconsin Governor Warren Knowles

Two years later, won an American Political Science Association
m congressional fellowship

Went to Washington in 1969 to serve as special asst. to
m Donald Rumsfeld in the Office of Economic Opportunity in the
m Nixon administration

Rumsfeld led President Ford's transition team in 1974, and
m brought his prot�g� (Cheney) to the executive office

Rumsfeld was named Sec. of Defense in 1975, and Cheney was
m appointed Ford's chief of staff

Returned to Wyoming after Ford lost the presidential election
m to Jimmy Carter in 1976-worked briefly in the private sector
m before running for the state's only seat in the U.S. House of
m Representatives

Soundly defeated his Democratic rival, Bill Bagley, in the 1978
m election and was reelected five times

Rose through ranks to become minority whip

Served as President George H.W. Bush's defense secretary
m and commanded the Pentagon during the Persian Gulf War

Cheney served as CEO of Halliburton Company, a
m Texas construction and engineering outfit that services oil
m companies from 1995-2000

Left the company to head the VP selection committee

Group vetted several possibilities, but he emerged as Bush's
m top choice

Weekly one-to-one lunches with the president, a key foreign
m policy advisor

Has taken charge of the president's energy policy, which calls
m for exploring wider use of nuclear power and fossil fuels, as
m well as increasing oil drilling

Three minor heart attacks before age 50 and had quadruple-
m bypass surgery in 1988

In his first months in office, he had a minor procedure to
m repair a stint in one of his arteries


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