Early Life

Madeleine Albright was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State from 1997 to 2001, making her the first woman to hold that position. Albright was born on May 15, 1937, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, as Marie Jana Körbelová. She was the daughter of Josef Korbel, a Czech diplomat, and Anna Korbel (née Spieglová).

Escape from Persecution

At first, Albright‘s family fled to England in 1939, to avoid anti-Jewish persecution before they immigrated to the U.S. during the communist coup d’état. While growing up, Albright and her family converted from Judaism to Catholicism. She was also interested in world affairs by learning so much about it from her father.

Albright became a naturalized citizen in 1957 and changed her name to Madeleine. Albright graduated from Wellesley College in 1959 and then went on to obtain a PhD from Columbia University in 1975. Albright began her political career by working as an aide to Senator Edmund Muskie before working as a staff member on the National Security Council under President Jimmy Carter. She later joined the Georgetown University faculty in 1982, where she broadened her expertise on foreign policy.

Ambassador to the United Nations

President Bill Clinton named Albright as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations in 1993, where she campaigned for human rights and democracy. Clinton nominated Albright as the Secretary of State in 1997, which meant that she was the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government at that time.

In her newfound position, Albright‘s focus remained on NATO’s expansion, promoting peace in the Middle East, and addressing global issues such as climate change. Albright left office in 2001 and returned to teaching at Georgetown University.

Personal Life

Albright was married to a fellow intern she met at the Denver Post. The intern was Joseph Albright. They got married in 1959.

The couple had three daughters before they divorced in 1982. Albright could also speak numerous languages like French, Russian, German, Polish, and a few others.

Death

Albright passed away in 2022 at the age of 84 after suffering from cancer.