Dr. Condoleezza Rice

Born in segregated Alabama, Condoleezza Rice was an aspiring concert pianist until she took a political science course and fell in love with policy. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in political science and taught international relations at Berkeley before joining the faculty at Stanford.

Her career in public service began as a mentee of Brent Scowcroft, serving as a Fellow with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and later becoming a Soviet specialist in the George H.W. Bush Administration. She also served as Provost of Stanford before returning to government as National Security Advisor, and eventually Secretary of State under George W. Bush. During her time in office, she reshaped foreign policy in Bush's second term, addressing complex challenges such as humanitarian crises in Africa, navigating the War on Terror, strengthening U.S.-India relations, and advancing peace efforts in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Despite being an only child whose parents passed away in 1985 and 2000, she forged deep friendships across political divides and industries. She was close with figures like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oscar de la Renta, Sally Ride, and Van Cliburn.

Now, turning 70 in November, we look back on the remarkable life and career of the trailblazer Condoleezza Rice.