Madeleine Albright

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia in 1937, Madeleine Albright and her family were refugees two times over, fleeing first from the Nazis and then from the Communists, eventually immigrating to the United States in 1948. This early persecution makes her eight academic degrees, including both a Master's and Doctorate from Columbia University, all the more impressive. During President Clinton's first term, Albright served as the United States' Permanent Representative to the United Nations and was a member of Clinton's National Security Council. Her renowned tenacity and natural flair for foreign policy lead President Clinton to appoint her as the first female Secretary of State. During her tenure, Albright concentrated on a bi-partisan approach to foreign policy, which made her remarkably popular both at home and abroad. Though no longer a member of the U.S. government, she continues to advise the Bush administration on the conflict in Iraq while also serving as a Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy at Georgetown University.