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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

Born in San Francisco in 1916

United States Sec. of Defense, 1961-1968

Taught business administration @ Harvard, 1940-1943

Served in WWII

Executive of Ford Motor Company, 1946-1960

Responsible for many of the managerial and product changes
m at Ford that enabled the company to regain its high rank
m among the nation's corporations

Became the 1st President of the corporation who was not
m a member of the Ford family

Resigned in January 1961 to become Pres. JFK's Sec.
m of Defense

Introduced modern management techniques in the Defense
m Dept. and asserted civilian control over the defense
m establishment

Shifted U.S. military strategy away from heavy reliance on
m nuclear weaponry and strengthened conventional fighting
m capacity

He at first supported escalation of the Vietnam War, but
m growing doubts about it led him to resign from the Cabinet

President of the World Bank, 1968-1981

Wrote The Essence of Security (1968), One Hundred Countries,
m Two Billion People (1973) and The Tragedy and Lessons of
m Vietnam (1995)


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