Robert Gates | |
---|---|
24th Chancellor of the College of William and Mary | |
Assumed office February 3, 2012 |
|
President | Taylor Reveley |
Preceded by | Sandra Day O'Connor |
35th President of the Boy Scouts of America | |
In office May 22, 2014 – May 26, 2016 |
|
Preceded by | Wayne Perry |
Succeeded by | Randall L. Stephenson |
22nd United States Secretary of Defense | |
In office December 18, 2006 – June 30, 2011 |
|
President |
George W. Bush Barack Obama |
Deputy |
Gordon England William Lynn |
Preceded by | Donald Rumsfeld |
Succeeded by | Leon Panetta |
22nd President of Texas A&M University | |
In office August 1, 2002 – December 16, 2006 |
|
Preceded by | Ray Bowen |
Succeeded by | Ed Davis (Acting) |
15th Director of Central Intelligence | |
In office November 6, 1991 – January 20, 1993 |
|
President | George H. W. Bush |
Deputy |
Dick Kerr Bill Studeman |
Preceded by | William Webster |
Succeeded by | James Woolsey |
Deputy National Security Advisor | |
In office March 20, 1989 – November 6, 1991 |
|
President | George H. W. Bush |
Preceded by | John Negroponte |
Succeeded by | Jonathan Howe |
16th Deputy Director of Central Intelligence | |
In office April 18, 1986 – March 20, 1989 |
|
President |
Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
Preceded by | John McMahon |
Succeeded by | Dick Kerr |
Personal details | |
Born |
Robert Michael Gates September 25, 1943 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Becky Gates |
Education |
College of William and Mary (BA) Indiana University, Bloomington (MA) Georgetown University (PhD) |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/branch | United States Air Force |
Years of service | 1967–1969 |
Rank | Second Lieutenant |
Robert Michael "Bob" Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American statesman, scholar, and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Gates initially began his career serving as an officer in the United States Air Force but was quickly recruited by the CIA. Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and was Director of Central Intelligence under President George H. W. Bush. After leaving the CIA, Gates became president of Texas A&M University and was a member of several corporate boards. Gates served as a member of the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan commission co-chaired by James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton, that studied the lessons of the Iraq War.
Gates was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush as Secretary of Defense after the 2006 election, replacing Donald Rumsfeld. He was confirmed with bipartisan support. In a 2007 profile written by former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, Time named Gates one of the year's most influential people. In 2008, Gates was named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report. He continued to serve as Secretary of Defense in President Barack Obama's administration. He retired in 2011. "He'll be remembered for making us aware of the danger of over-reliance on military intervention as an instrument of American foreign policy," said former Senator David L. Boren. Gates was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, by President Obama during his retirement ceremony. According to a Washington Post book review, he is "widely considered the best defense secretary of the post-World War II era".