Colin Powell

Colin Powell rose to prominence as a military general, but it is his commitment to public service � a commitment he still holds firm today � has made him an inspiration to African-Americans throughout the United States.

Colin Luther Powell was born on April 5, 1937, in New York City. The son of Jamaican immigrants he was raised in the South Bronx and educated in New York City public schools. While attending City College of New York, Powell participated in ROTC and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon his graduation in June of 1958 with a bachelor�s degree in geology. Powell later went to earn a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University.

Powell served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and in 1963 was wounded while patrolling the Vietnam-Laos border. He was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. During his second tour of duty in 1968-69, he was injured in a helicopter crash, but managed to rescue his comrades. For his life-saving deeds, Powell was awarded the Soldier�s Medal.

Powell continued to serve in the U.S. Army for another quarter-century, becoming a four-star general and serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military post in the country. Not allowing politics to interfere with his duties, he served in that capacity for two U.S. Presidents, George H.W. Bush, a Republican, and Bill Clinton, a Democrat, before retiring from the Army in 1993.

Powell wrote his best-selling autobiography, My American Journey, in 1995 and served as founding chairman of America�s Promise, an organization challenging Americans to make children and youth a national priority, following his retirement.

He did not stay retired for long, joining the cabinet of President George W. Bush as the 65th Secretary of State in 2001. He became the first African-American to serve in this position, an articulate spokesman for the country to the rest of the world.

Since leaving government service in 2005, Secretary Powell has been more involved at The Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at his alma mater, CCNY. In May of 2006, he became the eighth Chairman of the Eisenhower Fellowship Program. Powell is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Howard University and the Board of Directors of the United Negro College Fund.

Colin Powell has earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Congressional Gold Medal, and the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. But for all his high honors, his service to the American people has earned him the admiration and respect of people everywhere.

Information obtained from: www.whitehouse.gov and www.lucidcafe.com