107-497: Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other Donald Henry Rumsfeld (July 9, 1932 – June 29, 2021) was an American politician, government official and businessman who served as secretary of defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford , and again from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush . He
214-772: A Congregational church . From 1943 to 1945, Rumsfeld lived in Coronado, California , while his father was stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific in World War II. He was a ranger at Philmont Scout Ranch in 1949. Rumsfeld attended Baker Demonstration School, and later graduated from New Trier High School where he excelled academically as well as in sports. In the band, the young Rumsfeld played drums and also excelled at saxophone . He attended Princeton University on academic and NROTC partial scholarships. He graduated in 1954 with an A.B. in politics after completing
321-476: A 1938 jazz song by The Bobcats, has been featured in a number of Hollywood movies, including Let's Make Music and Reveille with Beverly . Winnetka was mentioned in the novel Havana by Stephen Hunter . Secondary character Roger St. John Evans was mentioned as "The Big Noise From Winnetka". The film Home Alone is set in Winnetka, and featured scenes filmed at 671 Lincoln Avenue. The street address
428-462: A Baby and Uncle Buck . The film Contagion was filmed in the area in the spring of 2011. Holidate , a 2020 Netflix romantic comedy starring Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey , is set in Winnetka. A popular TV series , Sisters (1991–1996), was set primarily in Winnetka, but was not filmed there, except for some exterior establishing shots. This was also true of its erstwhile summer replacement series, Winnetka Road . The characters on
535-642: A drilling reservist. On July 1, 1958, he was assigned to Anti-submarine Squadron 662 at Naval Air Station Anacostia in Washington, D.C. , as a selective reservist. Rumsfeld was designated aircraft commander of Anti-submarine Squadron 731 on October 1, 1960, at Naval Air Station Grosse Ile , Michigan, where he flew the S2F Tracker . He transferred to the Individual Ready Reserve when he became Secretary of Defense in 1975 and retired with
642-851: A member of Congress . He was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Illinois's 13th congressional district in 1962, at the age of 30, and was re-elected by large majorities in 1964, 1966, and 1968. While in Congress, he served on the Joint Economic Committee , the Committee on Science and Aeronautics, and the Government Operations Committee, as well as on the Subcommittees on Military and Foreign Operations. He
749-603: A member of the FCC 's High Definition Television Advisory Committee (1992–1993); a member of the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission (1999–2000); a member of the Council on Foreign Relations ; and chairman of the U.S. Commission to Assess National Security Space Management and Organization (2000). Among his most noteworthy positions was chairman of the nine-member Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to
856-885: A member of the boards of trustees of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships , the Hoover Institution at Stanford University , and the National Park Foundation . He was also a member of the U.S./Russia Business Forum and chairman of the Congressional Leadership's National Security Advisory Group. Rumsfeld was a member of the Project for the New American Century ,
963-472: A result, Rumsfeld's holdings in the company grew significantly when avian flu became a subject of popular anxiety during his later term as Secretary of Defense. Following standard practice, Rumsfeld recused himself from any decisions involving Gilead, and he directed the Pentagon's general counsel to issue instructions outlining what he could and could not be involved in if there were an avian flu pandemic and
1070-646: A senior thesis titled " The Steel Seizure Case of 1952 and Its Effects on Presidential Powers". During his time at Princeton, he was an accomplished amateur wrestler, becoming captain of the varsity wrestling team, and captain of the Lightweight Football team playing defensive back . While at Princeton he was friends with another future Secretary of Defense, Frank Carlucci . Rumsfeld married Joyce P. Pierson on December 27, 1954. They had three children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He attended Case Western Reserve University School of Law and
1177-454: A solution during the 1920s, reaching a tentative agreement in 2007 in which each homeowner could choose a village from which to receive services while the boundary officially remained unchanged. Initially, 46 homeowners chose Winnetka, but the others had the option to choose a village later. The boundary was later updated to reflect these choices. As of the 2020 census there were 12,744 people, 4,204 households, and 3,461 families residing in
SECTION 10
#17327727510611284-590: A tavern to service passengers on the Green Bay Trail post road. The village was first subdivided in 1854 by Charles Peck and Walter S. Gurnee, President of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad . Winnetka's first private school was opened in 1856 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peck with seventeen pupils. In 1859, the first public school building was built with private funds at the southeast corner of Elm and Maple streets. The first year's budget for this school
1391-456: A think-tank dedicated to maintaining U.S. primacy. In addition, he was asked to serve the U.S. State Department as a foreign policy consultant from 1990 to 1993. Though considered one of the Bush administration's staunchest hard-liners against North Korea, Rumsfeld sat on European engineering giant Asea Brown Boveri 's board from 1990 to 2001, a company that sold two light-water nuclear reactors to
1498-718: A young Congressman, Rumsfeld attended seminars at the University of Chicago , an experience he credits with introducing him to the idea of an all volunteer military , and to the economist Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics . He later took part in Friedman's PBS series Free to Choose . During his tenure in the House, Rumsfeld voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968 , and
1605-497: Is a Level I position in the Executive Schedule , thus earning a salary of US$ 246,400, as of October 2024. The longest-serving secretary of defense is Robert McNamara , who served for a total of 7 years, 39 days. Combining his two non-sequential services as the secretary of defense, the second-longest serving is Donald Rumsfeld , who served just ten days fewer than McNamara. The second-longest unbroken tenure
1712-597: Is a village in Cook County, Illinois , United States, located 16 miles (26 km) north of downtown Chicago . The population was 12,475 as of the 2020 census . The village is one of the wealthiest places in the United States in terms of household income. It was the second-ranked Illinois community on Bloomberg's 2019 Richest Places Annual Index. The first houses were built in 1836. That year, Erastus Patterson and his family arrived from Vermont and opened
1819-778: Is mentioned in the film, but the street is called "Lincoln Boulevard". The opening scenes of the sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York were filmed at the same house. Over three decades after the original film's 1990 release, sightseers still visit the North Shore neighborhood, particularly around the Christmas holiday season. Numerous other films have been shot in Winnetka, including portions of films Ocean's 12 , Breakfast Club , National Lampoon's Vacation , Ferris Bueller's Day Off , Sixteen Candles , Risky Business , Planes, Trains & Automobiles , She's Having
1926-937: Is on the south end of the village and Hubbard Woods is at the north end. Besides Metra, Pace Suburban Bus serves the Chicago Metropolitan Area. Winnetka has Pace Route 213 on Green Bay Road originating from Chicago Howard CTA Station, branching to Northbrook Court Mall , and the Highland Park , Illinois Metra Station. Pace also has route 423 from CTA's Linden Station in Wilmette branching to The Glen Town Center in Glenview, Illinois' , then ending at Chicago's CTA Harlem Station . Pace route 423 enters Winnetka from Northfield on Willow Road, turning on to Hibbard Road, Elm Street, then Green Bay Road to Linden Station. " Big Noise from Winnetka ,"
2033-749: The Winnetka-Glencoe Patch , the Chicago Tribune 's TribLocal , the Pioneer Press , Winnetka Talk , and The Winnetka Current . Metra serves three stations in Winnetka. All provide commuter rail service along the Union Pacific North Line . Trains travel south to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago, and north to Kenosha station . In the downtown area is The Winnetka station . Indian Hill
2140-605: The American Revolution . The War Department , headed by the secretary of war , was created by Act of Congress in 1789 and was responsible for both the Army and Navy until the founding of a separate Department of the Navy in 1798. Based on the experiences of World War II , proposals were soon made on how to more effectively manage the large combined military establishment. The Army generally favored centralization while
2247-586: The Chicago & Northwestern Railway . Between 1937 and 1942 the railroad tracks through Winnetka were grade separated after several people were hit at grade crossings. In 1995 the C&;NW was merged into the Union Pacific . Only Metra trains are operated on this track now; freight operations ended in the late 1980s. Winnetka has three Metra stations: Hubbard Woods , Winnetka , and Indian Hill . The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee electric interurban
SECTION 20
#17327727510612354-899: The Defense Superior Service Medal (DSSM), the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (DMSM), the Joint Service Commendation Medal (JSCM) and the Joint Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) are awarded, to military personnel for service in joint duty assignments, in the name of the secretary of defense. In addition, there is the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (JMUA), which is the only ribbon (as in non-medal) and unit award issued to joint DoD activities, also issued in
2461-546: The Department of the Navy under the Department of Defense) – authorized to act as convening authority in the military justice system for General Courts-Martial ( 10 U.S.C. § 822 : article 22, UCMJ ), Special Courts-Martial ( 10 U.S.C. § 823 : article 23, UCMJ), and Summary Courts-Martial ( 10 U.S.C. § 824 : article 24 UCMJ). The Secretary of Defense
2568-553: The Economic Stabilization Program before being appointed ambassador to NATO. Called back to Washington in August 1974, Rumsfeld was appointed chief of staff by President Ford. Rumsfeld recruited a young one-time staffer of his, Dick Cheney , to succeed him when Ford nominated him to be secretary of defense in 1975. When Ford lost the 1976 election, Rumsfeld returned to private business and financial life, and
2675-801: The Georgetown University Law Center , but did not take a degree from either institution. Rumsfeld served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1957, as a naval aviator and flight instructor . His initial training was in the North American SNJ Texan basic trainer after which he transitioned to the T-28 advanced trainer. In 1957, he transferred to the Naval Reserve and continued his naval service in flying and administrative assignments as
2782-567: The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization for installation in North Korea , as part of the 1994 agreed framework reached under President Bill Clinton . Rumsfeld's office said that he did not "recall it being brought before the board at any time" though Fortune magazine reported that "board members were informed about this project". The Bush administration repeatedly criticized
2889-896: The Law of the Sea Treaty (1982–1983); a senior adviser to President Reagan's Panel on Strategic Systems (1983–1984); a member of the Joint Advisory Commission on U.S./Japan Relations (1983–1984); a member of the National Commission on the Public Service (1987–1990); a member of the National Economic Commission (1988–1989); a member of the board of visitors of the National Defense University (1988–1992);
2996-862: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels , Belgium. He served as the United States' Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council and the Defense Planning Committee , and the Nuclear Planning Group . In this capacity, he represented the United States in wide-ranging military and diplomatic matters, and was asked to help mediate a conflict on behalf of the United States between Cyprus and Turkey . In August 1974, after Nixon resigned as president in
3103-815: The Senate , and is by custom a member of the Cabinet and by law a member of the National Security Council . To ensure civilian control of the military , U.S. law provides that the SecDef cannot have served as an active-duty commissioned officer in the military in the preceding seven years except for generals and admirals , who cannot have served on active duty within the previous ten years. Congress can legislatively waive this restriction and has done so three times, for George C. Marshall , James N. Mattis , and Lloyd J. Austin, III . Subject only to
3210-414: The U.S. Armed Forces , and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet . The SecDef's position of command and authority over the military is second only to that of the president of the United States , who is the commander-in-chief . This position corresponds to what is generally known as a defense minister in many other countries. The president appoints the SecDef with the advice and consent of
3317-703: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 . Rumsfeld resigned from Congress in 1969 – his fourth term – to serve in the Nixon administration in a variety of executive branch positions. Nixon appointed Rumsfeld director of the United States Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO), a position with Cabinet rank . Rumsfeld had voted against the creation of OEO when he was in Congress, and, according to his 2011 memoirs, he initially rejected Nixon's offer, citing his own inherent belief that
Donald Rumsfeld - Misplaced Pages Continue
3424-583: The president with the advice and consent of the Senate , is by federal law ( 10 U.S.C. § 113 ) the head of the Department of Defense, "the principal assistant to the President in all matters relating to Department of Defense", and has "authority, direction and control over the Department of Defense". Because the Constitution vests all military authority in Congress and the president,
3531-405: The secretary general of NATO and offered to the U.S. permanent representative to NATO in recognition of U.S. servicemembers who meet the eligibility criteria specified by NATO. As the head of the department, the secretary of defense is the chief witness for the congressional committees with oversight responsibilities over the Department of Defense. The most important committees, with respect to
3638-490: The secretary of the treasury , the secretary of defense, and the attorney general are generally regarded as the four most important (and are officially the four most senior and oldest) cabinet officials because of the size and importance of their respective departments. The current secretary of defense is retired general Lloyd Austin , who is the first African American to serve in the position. An Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were established in 1775, in concurrence with
3745-485: The under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness , and such recommendations be must approved by the secretary of defense before it can be handed over to the president, who is the final approval authority for the MOH, although it is awarded in the name of Congress . The secretary of defense, with the concurrence of the secretary of state , is the approval authority for the acceptance and wear of NATO medals issued by
3852-450: The 13th U.S. Secretary of Defense and George H. W. Bush to become Director of Central Intelligence . According to Bob Woodward 's 2002 book Bush at War , a rivalry developed between the two men and "Bush senior was convinced that Rumsfeld was pushing him out to the CIA to end his political career." Rumsfeld's confirmation hearing as Secretary of Defense began on November 12, 1975. During
3959-540: The 1994 agreement and the former Clinton presidency for its softness towards North Korea, regarding the country as a state sponsor of terrorism , and later designated North Korea as part of the Axis-of-Evil . United States Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense ( SecDef ) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the executive department of
4066-621: The Army (DA), Department of the Navy (DON) & Department of the Air Force (DAF)), the Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities , the National Guard Bureau (NGB), and such other offices, agencies, activities, organizations, and commands established or designated by law, or by the president or by the secretary of defense. Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 describes the organizational relationships within
4173-619: The Army to become its own branch of service, the United States Air Force . A new title was coined by the Act for the head of the NME: Secretary of Defense. At first, each of the service secretaries maintained cabinet status. The first secretary of defense, James Forrestal , who in his previous capacity as the secretary of the Navy had opposed the creation of the new position, found it difficult to exercise authority over
4280-518: The CEO and chairman of several companies. Born in Illinois, Rumsfeld attended Princeton University , graduating in 1954 with a degree in political science . After serving in the Navy for three years, he mounted a campaign for Congress in Illinois's 13th Congressional District, winning in 1962 at the age of 30. Rumsfeld accepted an appointment by President Richard Nixon to head the Office of Economic Opportunity in 1969; appointed counsellor by Nixon and entitled to Cabinet-level status, he also headed up
4387-456: The Crow Island Woods. Winnetka's neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects including George Washington Maher , Walter Burley Griffin , John S. Van Bergen , Robert Seyfarth , Robert McNitt, Howard Van Doren Shaw and David Adler . Among Winnetka's celebrities are actor Rock Hudson and rock singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx . Churches in Winnetka were also designed by noted architects. Among them,
Donald Rumsfeld - Misplaced Pages Continue
4494-407: The Department of Defense, making it one Executive Department . The position of the deputy secretary of defense , the number two position in the department, was also created at this time. The general trend since 1949 has been to further centralize management in the Department of Defense, elevating the status and authorities of civilian OSD appointees and defense-wide organizations at the expense of
4601-460: The Food and Drug Administration . In 1985, Searle was sold to the Monsanto Company . Rumsfeld served as chairman and chief executive officer of General Instrument from 1990 to 1993. A leader in broadband transmission, distribution, and access control technologies for cable, satellite, and terrestrial broadcasting applications, the company pioneered the development of the first all-digital high-definition television ( HDTV ) technology. After taking
4708-419: The House, suggesting that representative Gerald Ford from Michigan's 5th congressional district was the most suited candidate to replace Charles A. Halleck as Republican leader. Rumsfeld, along with other members of the Republican caucus, then urged Ford to run for Republican leader. Ford eventually defeated Halleck and became House Minority Leader in 1965. The group of Republicans that encouraged Ford to run for
4815-469: The Iraq War, he claimed that Iraq had an active weapons of mass destruction program; no stockpiles were ever found. A Pentagon Inspector General report found that Rumsfeld's top policy aide "developed, produced, and then disseminated alternative intelligence assessments on the Iraq and al-Qaeda relationship , which included some conclusions that were inconsistent with the consensus of the Intelligence Community , to senior decision-makers". Rumsfeld's tenure
4922-425: The JSAM to the achievement medals issued by the services. While the approval authority for DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM and JMUA is delegated to inferior DoD officials: the DDSM can be awarded only by the secretary of defense. Recommendations for the Medal of Honor (MOH), formally endorsed in writing by the secretary of the military department concerned and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , are processed through
5029-412: The Middle East to serve as a mediator on behalf of the president. When Rumsfeld visited Baghdad on December 20, 1983, he met Saddam Hussein at Saddam's palace and engaged a 90-minute discussion with him. They largely agreed on opposing Syria 's occupation of Lebanon ; preventing Syrian and Iranian expansion; and preventing arms sales to Iran. Rumsfeld suggested that if U.S.-Iraq relations could improve
5136-416: The Navy had institutional preferences for decentralization and the status quo. The resulting National Security Act of 1947 was largely a compromise between these divergent viewpoints. It renamed the Department of War the Department of the Army , and added both it and the Department of the Navy to a newly established National Military Establishment (NME). The Act also separated the Army Air Forces from
5243-494: The North Shore Summer Project, the nonprofit now known as Open Communities was founded. According to the 2010 census, Winnetka has a total area of 3.893 square miles (10.08 km ), of which 3.81 square miles (9.87 km ) (or 97.87%) is land and 0.083 square miles (0.21 km ) (or 2.13%) is water. Winnetka's northern border with Glencoe cuts through 58 homes, causing homeowners to have to pay taxes to, and seek permits from both villages. The two villages began discussing
5350-401: The OEO did more harm than good, and he felt that he was not the right person for the job. After much negotiation, he accepted the OEO appointment with Nixon's "assurances that he would be ... also an assistant to the President, with Cabinet-level status and an office in the White House," which "sweetened (the OEO position) with status and responsibility". As director, Rumsfeld sought to reorganize
5457-446: The Office to serve what he later described in his 2011 memoir as "a laboratory for experimental programs". Several beneficial anti-poverty programs were saved by allocating funds to them from other less-successful government programs. During this time, he hired Frank Carlucci and Dick Cheney to serve under him. He was the subject of one of writer Jack Anderson 's columns, alleging that "anti-poverty czar" Rumsfeld had cut programs to aid
SECTION 50
#17327727510615564-407: The Pentagon had to respond. During his business career, Rumsfeld continued part-time public service in various posts. In November 1983, Rumsfeld was appointed special envoy to the Middle East by President Ronald Reagan, at a turbulent time in modern Middle Eastern history when Iraq was fighting Iran in the Iran–Iraq War . The United States wished for Iraq to win the conflict, and Rumsfeld was sent to
5671-470: The Republican leadership became known as the " Young Turks ". Rumsfeld later served during Ford's presidency as his chief of staff in 1974, and was chosen by Ford to succeed James Schlesinger as United States Secretary of Defense in 1975. During Rumsfeld's tenure as member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he voiced concerns about U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War , saying that President Johnson and his national security team were overconfident about how
5778-460: The Skokie School (opened 1922 ) and seventh and eighth graders attend the Carleton W. Washburne School (est. 1969 ), named after educator Carleton Washburne . Winnetka's schools were modeled after Washburne's educational philosophy in an experiment called the Winnetka Plan . The town's schools continue to reflect his educational philosophy. Crow Island is a National Historic Landmark due to its significant architectural design. Some neighborhoods in
5885-414: The U.S. and internationally, acting as a key representative for the Defense Department , focusing on the politics of his defense role, to fulfill an imperative goal of budget increase, in order to maintain strategic parity with the Soviet Union. Rumsfeld, who previously was assigned to the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, emphasized the importance of the next stage of the space program following
5992-428: The U.S. might support a new oil pipeline across Jordan , which Iraq had opposed but was now willing to reconsider. Rumsfeld also informed Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz that "Our efforts to assist were inhibited by certain things that made it difficult for us ... citing the use of chemical weapons ." Rumsfeld wrote in his memoir Known and Unknown that his meeting with Hussein "has been
6099-430: The U.S. troops in Vietnam, General William Westmoreland . The trip led Rumsfeld to cosponsor a resolution to bring the conduct of the war to the House floor for further debate and discussion about U.S. mismanagement of the war. However, under constant pressure from the Johnson administration , the Democrats , who at that time held the majority at the House of Representatives, blocked the resolution from consideration. As
6206-402: The United States from January to July 1998. In its findings, the commission concluded that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea could develop intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities in five to ten years and that U.S. intelligence would have little warning before such systems were deployed. During the 1980s, Rumsfeld became a member of the National Academy of Public Administration , and was named
6313-555: The United States for 15 to 20 years and that, if continued, they "would have the effect of injecting a fundamental instability in the world". For this reason, he oversaw the development of cruise missiles , the B-1 bomber , and a major naval shipbuilding program. Rumsfeld made some changes at the Pentagon , including appointing a second deputy secretary of defense (a position created in 1972 but, before Robert Ellsworth , never filled before) and combining certain offices. More than his predecessors, Rumsfeld frequently traveled both within
6420-403: The aftermath of the Watergate scandal , Rumsfeld was called back to Washington to serve as the transition chairman for the new president, Gerald Ford. He had been Ford's confidante since their days in the House, before Ford was House minority leader and was one of the members of the " Young Turks " who played a major role in bringing Ford to Republican leadership in the House of Representatives. As
6527-445: The architectural firm Perkins, Wheeler & Will, was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1990. It was declared 12th among all buildings and the best architectural design of all schools. Ten thousand people attended the opening in 1938. In 1965, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke in Winnetka. A plaque dedicated to him is on the Village Green, a park in the town, where he spoke. As a result of Dr. King's open housing campaign and
SECTION 60
#17327727510616634-403: The average family size was 2.94. The village's age distribution consisted of 32.4% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 16.5% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males. The median income for a household in the village
6741-399: The combatant commanders of the Combatant Commands . All these high-ranking positions, civil and military, require Senate confirmation. The Department of Defense is composed of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Joint Staff (JS), Office of the Inspector General (DODIG), the Combatant Commands , the Military Departments ( Department of
6848-405: The company public and returning it to profitability, Rumsfeld returned to private business in late 1993. From January 1997 until being sworn in as the 21st Secretary of Defense in January 2001, Rumsfeld served as chairman of Gilead Sciences, Inc. Gilead is the developer of Tamiflu ( Oseltamivir ), which is used in the treatment of bird flu as well as influenza A and influenza B in humans. As
6955-424: The company's financial turnaround, thereby earning awards as the Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the Pharmaceutical Industry from the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981). Journalist Andrew Cockburn of Harper's Magazine claimed that Rumsfeld suppressed news that Searle's key product, aspartame , was shown to have potentially dangerous effects by leveraging old government contacts at
7062-450: The department and is the foundational issuance for delineating the major functions of the department. The latest version, signed by former secretary of defense Robert Gates in December 2010, is the first major re-write since 1987. The secretary's principally civilian staff element is called the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and is composed of the deputy secretary of defense (DEPSECDEF) and six under secretaries of defense in
7169-417: The entire department, are the two authorizing committees, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), and the two appropriations committees, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations Committee . For the DoD intelligence programs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence have
7276-445: The establishment of the Department of Defense, see the lists of secretaries of the Navy and secretaries of war prior to 1947. Democratic Republican Independent / Unknown The secretary of defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession , following the secretary of the treasury and preceding the attorney general . On December 10, 2020, President Donald Trump modified
7383-458: The fields of acquisition & sustainment , research & engineering , comptroller/chief financial officer , intelligence , personnel & readiness , and policy ; several assistant secretaries of defense ; other directors and the staffs under them. The name of the principally military staff organization, organized under the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the Joint Staff (JS). The Defense Distinguished Service Medal (DDSM),
7490-479: The former First Church of Christ, Scientist, 440 Ridge Avenue , was designed in 1924 by architect Solon S. Beman . In the 1920s, a colonial Georgian house was built at 671 Lincoln Avenue. The house is now known as the famous Home Alone house for its exterior being used as a shooting location for two films in the series , starting in 1990. The Chicago and Milwaukee Railway was built in 1855 through Winnetka, connecting its namesake cities. It eventually became
7597-416: The hearing, Rumsfeld was mostly asked about the administration's defense policy on the Cold War. Rumsfeld stated that the Soviet Union was a "clear and present danger," especially following the end of the Vietnam War, which Rumsfeld described as the USSR's chance to build up its domination. On November 17, 1975, Rumsfeld was confirmed as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 97–2. At the age of 43, Rumsfeld became
7704-486: The military departments and the services within them. The last major revision of the statutory framework concerning the position was done in the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 . In particular, it elevated the status of joint service for commissioned officers, making it in practice a requirement before appointments to general officer and flag officer grades could be made. As
7811-462: The military hierarchy, its incumbent has sometimes unofficially been referred to as "deputy commander-in-chief". The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the principal military adviser to the secretary of defense and the president; while the chairman may assist the secretary and president in their command functions, the chairman is not in the chain of command. The secretary of state ,
7918-682: The name of the secretary of defense. The DDSM is analogous to the distinguished services medals issued by the military departments (i.e. Army Distinguished Service Medal , Navy Distinguished Service Medal & Air Force Distinguished Service Medal ), the DSSM corresponds to the Legion of Merit , the DMSM to the Meritorious Service Medal , the JSCM to the service commendation medals, and
8025-530: The new president became settled in, Ford appointed Rumsfeld White House Chief of Staff , following Ford's appointment of General Alexander Haig to be the new Supreme Allied Commander Europe . Rumsfeld served from 1974 to 1975. In October 1975, Ford reshuffled his cabinet in the Halloween Massacre . Various newspaper and magazine articles at the time identified Rumsfeld as having orchestrated these events. Ford named Rumsfeld to succeed Schlesinger as
8132-470: The office of Secretary of Defense, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved. Defenselink bio Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved February 8, 2010; and Marshall Foundation bio Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , Retrieved February 8, 2010. Winnetka, Illinois Winnetka ( / w ɪ ˈ n ɛ t k ə / )
8239-510: The order of succession for the office of Secretary of Defense in Executive Order 13963. The order of succession is: It is hereby expressed as the intent of the Congress that the authority granted by this Act is not to be construed as approval by the Congress of continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future. It is hereby expressed as the sense of the Congress that after General Marshall leaves
8346-522: The orders of the president, the SecDef is in the chain of command and exercises command and control , for both operational and administrative purposes, over all DoD-administered service branches – the Army , Marine Corps , Navy , Air Force , and Space Force – as well as the Coast Guard when its command and control is transferred to the Department of Defense. Only
8453-649: The other branches with the limited powers his office had at the time. To address this and other problems, the National Security Act was amended in 1949 to further consolidate the national defense structure in order to reduce interservice rivalry , directly subordinate the secretaries of the Army , the Navy and the Air Force to the secretary of defense in the chain of command, and rename the National Military Establishment as
8560-524: The poor while spending thousands to redecorate his office. Rumsfeld dictated a four-page response to Anderson, labeling the accusations as falsehoods, and invited Anderson to tour his office. Despite the tour, Anderson did not retract his claims, and only much later admitted that his column was a mistake. When Rumsfeld left OEO in December 1970, Nixon named him Counselor to the President, a general advisory position; in this role, he retained Cabinet status. He
8667-410: The population. There were 4,204 households, out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.88% were married couples living together, 3.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.67% were non-families. 16.34% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.44% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.31 and
8774-488: The president. The secretary is one of only five or six civilians – the others being the president, the three "service secretaries" (the secretary of the Army , secretary of the Navy , and secretary of the Air Force ), and the secretary of homeland security (when the United States Coast Guard is under the United States Department of Homeland Security and has not been transferred to
8881-429: The principal oversight role. The secretary of defense is a statutory member of the National Security Council . As one of the principals, the secretary along with the vice president , secretary of state and the assistant to the president for national security affairs participates in biweekly Principals Committee (PC) meetings, preparing and coordinating issues before they are brought before full NSC sessions chaired by
8988-516: The rank of captain in 1989. In 1957, during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration, Rumsfeld served as administrative assistant to David S. Dennison Jr. , a Congressman representing the 11th district of Ohio. In 1959, he moved on to become a staff assistant to Congressman Robert P. Griffin of Michigan . Engaging in a two-year stint with an investment banking firm, A. G. Becker & Co. , from 1960 to 1962, Rumsfeld then set his sights on becoming
9095-409: The secretary of defense (or the president or Congress) can authorize the transfer of operational control of forces between the three military departments ( Department of the Army , the Navy , and the Air Force ) and the eleven Unified Combatant Commands . Because the secretary of defense is vested with legal powers that exceed those of any commissioned officer , and is second only to the president in
9202-520: The secretary of defense is a civilian position intended to be independent of the active-duty leadership, a secretary is required to have been retired from service for at least seven (originally ten) years unless a waiver is approved by Congress. Since the creation of the position in 1947, such a waiver has been approved only three times, for Army general George Marshall in 1950, Marine Corps General Jim Mattis in 2017, and retired Army general Lloyd Austin in 2021. The secretary of defense, appointed by
9309-594: The secretary of defense. Some of those high-ranking officials, civil and military (outside of OSD and the Joint Staff) are: the secretary of the Army , secretary of the Navy , and secretary of the Air Force , Army chief of staff , commandant of the Marine Corps , chief of naval operations , Air Force chief of staff , chief of space operations , and chief of the National Guard Bureau and
9416-764: The son of Jeannette Kearsley (née Husted) and George Donald Rumsfeld. His father came from a German family that had emigrated in the 1870s from Weyhe in Lower Saxony , but young Donald was sometimes ribbed about looking like a "tough Swiss". Growing up in Winnetka, Illinois , Rumsfeld became an Eagle Scout in 1949 and was the recipient of both the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America and its Silver Buffalo Award in 2006. Living in Winnetka, his family attended
9523-629: The southern part of Winnetka are served by Avoca School District 37 , which has schools in Glenview (Avoca West Elementary School; K-5) and Wilmette (Marie Murphy School; 6–8). Kenilworth School District 38 (Sears School; K-8) also includes a very small portion of the southeastern part of Winnetka, near Kenilworth. Winnetka is in New Trier Township , and public school students who reside in Winnetka attend New Trier High School for grades 9 through 12. Media outlets covering Winnetka include
9630-411: The statutory authority of the secretary of defense is derived from their constitutional authorities. Since it is impractical for either Congress or the president to participate in every piece of Department of Defense affairs, the secretary of defense and the secretary's subordinate officials generally exercise military authority. As the head of DoD, all officials, employees and service members are "under"
9737-433: The subject of gossip, rumors, and crackpot conspiracy theories for more than a quarter of a century ... Supposedly I had been sent to see Saddam by President Reagan either to negotiate a secret oil deal, to help arm Iraq, or to make Iraq an American client state . The truth is that our encounter was more straightforward and less dramatic." The Washington Post reported that "Although former U.S. officials agree that Rumsfeld
9844-564: The successful Moon landing in 1969. While serving as Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld organized a joint-cooperation between the Department of Defense and NASA to develop Skylab . Another result of the cooperation was the Space Shuttle program . During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld worked to finish the SALT II Treaty. Rumsfeld, together with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General George S. Brown drafted
9951-684: The treaty. However, an agreement was not made before the 1976 election. SALT II was finished and signed during the Carter administration. In 1977, Rumsfeld was awarded the nation's highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom . Kissinger, his bureaucratic adversary, later paid him a different sort of compliment, pronouncing him "a special Washington phenomenon: the skilled full-time politician-bureaucrat in whom ambition, ability, and substance fuse seamlessly". Rumsfeld's first tenure as Secretary of Defense ended on January 20, 1977. He
10058-441: The village. The population density was 3,275.25 inhabitants per square mile (1,264.58/km ). There were 4,459 housing units at an average density of 1,145.98 per square mile (442.47/km ). The racial makeup of the village was 89.17% White , 0.25% African American , 0.04% Native American , 3.52% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 0.71% from other races , and 6.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.01% of
10165-473: The war was being conducted. On one occasion, Rumsfeld joined with other members of the House and traveled to Vietnam for a fact-finding mission to see for themselves how the war was going. The trip led to Rumsfeld believing that the South Vietnamese government was much too dependent on the United States. Rumsfeld was also unsatisfied when he received a briefing about war planning from the commander of
10272-563: The youngest person to serve as United States Secretary of Defense as of 2024. During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Rumsfeld oversaw the transition to an all-volunteer military. He sought to reverse the gradual decline in the defense budget and to build up U.S. strategic and conventional forces, undermining Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at the SALT talks. He asserted, along with Team B (which he helped to set up), that trends in comparative U.S.- Soviet military strength had not favored
10379-605: Was $ 200. The village was incorporated in 1869 with a population of 450. The name is believed to originate from the Potawatomi language , meaning 'beautiful place'. The oldest surviving house in Winnetka is the Schmidt-Burnham Log House . Originally constructed on what is now the Indian Hill Club on the south edge of town and in 1917 moved to Tower Road, it was moved in 2003 from Tower Road to
10486-527: Was Caspar Weinberger's, at 6 years, 306 days. The shortest-serving secretary of defense is Elliot Richardson , who served 114 days and then was appointed U.S. attorney general amid the resignations of the Watergate Scandal . (This is not counting deputy secretaries of defense William P. Clements and William Howard Taft IV , who each served a few weeks as temporary/acting secretary of defense). For precursors to this position prior to
10593-625: Was also a co-founder of the Japanese-American Inter-Parliamentary Council in addition to being a leading cosponsor of the Freedom of Information Act . In 1965, following the defeat of Barry Goldwater by Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1964 presidential election , which also led to the Republicans losing many seats in the House of Representatives, Rumsfeld proposed new leadership for the Republicans in
10700-519: Was both the youngest and the oldest secretary of defense. Additionally, Rumsfeld was a four-term U.S. Congressman from Illinois (1963–1969), director of the Office of Economic Opportunity (1969–1970), counselor to the president (1969–1973), the U.S. Representative to NATO (1973–1974), and the White House Chief of Staff (1974–1975). Between his terms as secretary of defense, he served as
10807-714: Was built through Winnetka and the North Shore in the first decade of the 1900s, and the line through Winnetka was removed in 1955. This is now the Green Bay Trail bicycle path . In 1904, the Winnetka Park District was established, making it the fourth oldest park district in the state of Illinois. Today, the park district maintains and operates 27 parks, five beaches, and golf, tennis, ice skating/hockey, and paddle tennis facilities. The Crow Island School , designed by Eliel & Eero Saarinen and
10914-557: Was controversial for its use of torture and the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. Rumsfeld gradually lost political support and resigned in late 2006. In his retirement years, he published an autobiography, Known and Unknown: A Memoir , as well as Rumsfeld's Rules: Leadership Lessons in Business, Politics, War, and Life . Donald Henry Rumsfeld was born at St. Lukes Hospital on July 9, 1932, in Chicago , Illinois,
11021-629: Was given an office in the West Wing in 1969 and regularly interacted with the Nixon administration hierarchy. He was named director of the Economic Stabilization Program in 1970 as well, and later headed up the Cost of Living Council . In March 1971 Nixon was recorded saying about Rumsfeld "at least Rummy is tough enough" and "He's a ruthless little bastard. You can be sure of that." In February 1973, Rumsfeld left Washington to serve as U.S. Ambassador to
11128-797: Was in excess of $ 250,000, as was the median income for a family. Males had a median income of $ 200,944 versus $ 66,726 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 134,596. About 1.7% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over. For the history see Arthur Zilversmit, Changing schools: Progressive education theory and practice, 1930-1960 (University of Chicago Press, 1993). The Winnetka Public Schools system (District 36) consists of three elementary schools and two middle schools. Hubbard Woods (est. 1915 ), Crow Island (est. 1940), and Samuel Sewall Greeley (est. 1912) Elementary Schools serve grades kindergarten through four, students in fifth and sixth grades attend
11235-530: Was named president and CEO of the pharmaceutical corporation G. D. Searle & Company . He was later named CEO of General Instrument from 1990 to 1993 and chairman of Gilead Sciences from 1997 to 2001. Rumsfeld was appointed secretary of defense for a second time in January 2001 by President George W. Bush. As secretary of defense, Rumsfeld played a central role in the 2001 United States invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq . Before and during
11342-508: Was not one of the architects of the Reagan administration's tilt toward Iraq —he was a private citizen when he was appointed Middle East envoy—the documents show that his visits to Baghdad led to closer U.S.–Iraqi cooperation on a wide variety of fronts." In addition to taking the position of Middle East envoy, Rumsfeld served as a member of the President's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control (1982–1986); President Reagan's special envoy on
11449-600: Was succeeded by former Secretary of the Air Force Harold Brown . In early 1977 Rumsfeld briefly lectured at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School and Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management . His sights instead turned to business, and from 1977 to 1985 Rumsfeld served as chief executive officer, president, and then chairman of G. D. Searle & Company , a worldwide pharmaceutical company based in Skokie, Illinois . During his tenure at Searle, Rumsfeld led
#60939