George W. BushPresidency |
Who were Bush’s choices for secretaries of state? |
For the first time in history, an African American was chosen as secretary of state when President Bush appointed Colin Powell to his cabinet. Powell, a respected four-star general, had been national security advisor to President Ronald Reagan and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H. W. Bush. He served as Bush’s secretary of state from 2001 to 2005.
After Powell left office, President Bush chose another African American, Condoleezza Rice, to fill the post. Rice had been Bush’s national security advisor from 2001 to 2005. Previously, she had been provost at Stanford University, her alma mater, and a key member of President George H. W. Bush’s national security team.