Colin Powell
The final decades of the twentieth century saw the United States military and foreign-policy apparatus reshaped by a generation of career officers who moved between combat commands and the highest levels of government. Colin Powell was one of those figures, rising from the streets of New York City, where he was born on April 5, 1937, through decades of Army service to positions at the very center of American national security.
Powell attended Morris High School before going on to the City College of New York, then continued his education at the United States Army Command and General Staff College, the National War College, and George Washington University. His military career earned him the Purple Heart among other decorations, and he went on to serve as the 15th national security advisor from 1987 to 1989 and then as the 12th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993. Those roles placed him at the intersection of military command and civilian government during a consequential stretch of American history.
Powell joined the Republican Party in 1995, and in 2001 he was appointed the 65th United States secretary of state, a post he held until 2005. He was the first Black American to hold that office. In that capacity he worked as a diplomat and foreign minister during one of the more turbulent periods in recent American foreign policy. His career spanned roles as army officer, soldier, security advisor, politician, and diplomat — an unusually wide range of public service for a single career.
His contributions were recognized through several formal honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Spingarn Medal. Powell died on October 18, 2021, at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The Library of Congress catalogs his work under the authorized label "Powell, Colin L."
Quotes by Colin Powell
Colin Powell's insights on:
Success is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.
The healthiest competition occurs when average people win by putting in above-average effort.
If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters.
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning form failure.
Reluctance to use military force is an American military tradition. Since war is ultimately a political act, not a military act, gives political tools the opportunity to work first.
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.
Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in (consequence) is enough to bury those who did not return.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it is the slogan of the complacent, the arrogant or the scared. It's an excuse for inaction, a call to non-arms.