- Condoleezza Rice
Critical Essay by
Dr. Norma Bouchard
Executive Vice President, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Chapman University
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Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat who served as the 66th United States Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. Rice was the first African-American woman to hold the position of Secretary of State.
Rice was born on November 14, 1954, in Birmingham, Alabama. She grew up in a racially segregated community during the Civil Rights Movement and attended the University of Denver where she majored in music but graduated with an alternate Bachelor's degree in political science.
In 1975, she earned a Master's degree from the University of Notre Dame. She joined the State Department in 1977, during the Carter administration, as an intern in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. In the summer of 1979, she studied Russian language at Moscow State University and was an intern with the policy think tank RAND Corporation. In 1981, she received her Ph.D. in political science from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Her dissertation focused on the then communist state of Czechoslovakia.
Rice won a Ford Foundation Dual Expertise Fellowship in Soviet Studies and International Security and became a fellow at Stanford University’s Arms Control and Disarmament Program (1980-1981). In 1981, she was hired by Stanford University as an assistant professor of political science.
In 1982, Rice changed her political affiliation from Democrat to Republican and served on the National Security Council as the Soviet and Eastern Europe affairs advisor to President George H. W. Bush during the time of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany.
From 1993 to 1999, Rice was Provost of Stanford University. She was the first woman and the first African-American to hold the position. As Provost, she played a key role in overseeing academic and budgetary matters of the university.
In 2001, Rice became the National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush. She played a crucial role in the administration's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and was a proponent of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In March 2004, she was called to testify before the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, or the “9/11 Commission”. In 2005, she succeeded Colin Powell as Secretary of State, becoming the first African-American woman to hold the position.
As Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009, Rice advocated for democracy and human rights around the world. She was also deeply involved in efforts to resolve conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine. In addition, she championed economic and political reforms in Africa and was a stanch supporter of international efforts to fight global terrorism.
Upon leaving public office, Rice joined the Council on Foreign Relations and served on various boards and commissions. She has delivered scores of public lectures and authored several books, including Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family (2010), No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington (2011), and Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom (2017).
Among the pros of Rice’s legacy are her barrier-breaking achievements as the first African-American woman to hold the position of Secretary of State which paved the way for greater diversity in senior government positions. Rice has also been a strong advocate for democracy, supporting initiatives to expand democratic governance and empower civil society organizations. As National Security Advisor during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Rice coordinated efforts to combat terrorism and protect the interests of the United States at home and abroad. Her efforts in international diplomacy have been the subject of considerable praise and Rice diplomatic skills have helped strengthen U.S. alliances and navigate complex international issues.
Among the most significant criticisms of Rice's legacy is the intelligence failure over weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and a war that has had destabilizing geopolitical consequences. Rice has also been criticized for her alleged involvement in the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding during the Bush administration's “war on terror”, and for her lack of focus on human rights abuses in countries that are strategic partners of the United States (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, etc.).
While opinions on Rice’s legacy differ, she remains a highly prominent figure in American politics and international relations. She has been named several time to Time magazine’s list of the world's 100 most influential people. In 2004 and 2005, she was ranked as the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes and number two in 2006 (after Angela Merkel). In recognition of her achievements, she has received several honorary doctorates, fellowships, and awards from academic institutions worldwide.
