(born 1937) Appointed Secretary of State in 1997 under President Clinton, Albright was the first female to occupy the post and the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in the federal government. Before becoming Secretary of State, she was the US representative to the United Nations for four years. In both positions, Albright established a unique style.

Blending a hawkish reliance on the threat of military force with personal warmth, she helped the US forge diplomatic inroads with longstanding enemies. Her political rise blazed a trail for women in the male-dominated realm of international affairs.