John F. Kerry | |
---|---|
68th United States Secretary of State | |
In office February 1, 2013 – January 20, 2017 |
|
President | Barack Obama |
Deputy |
William Joseph Burns Wendy Sherman (Acting) Tony Blinken |
Preceded by | Hillary Clinton |
Succeeded by | Tom Shannon (Acting) |
Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee | |
In office January 6, 2009 – February 1, 2013 |
|
Preceded by | Joe Biden |
Succeeded by | Bob Menendez |
Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee | |
In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2009 |
|
Preceded by | Olympia Snowe |
Succeeded by | Mary Landrieu |
In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003 |
|
Preceded by | Kit Bond |
Succeeded by | Olympia Snowe |
In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001 |
|
Preceded by | Kit Bond |
Succeeded by | Kit Bond |
United States Senator from Massachusetts |
|
In office January 2, 1985 – February 1, 2013 |
|
Preceded by | Paul Tsongas |
Succeeded by | Mo Cowan |
66th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts | |
In office March 6, 1983 – January 2, 1985 |
|
Governor | Michael Dukakis |
Preceded by | Thomas P. O'Neill III |
Succeeded by | Evelyn Murphy |
Personal details | |
Born |
John Forbes Kerry December 11, 1943 Aurora, Colorado, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) |
Julia Thorne (1970–1988) Teresa Heinz (1995–present) |
Children |
Alexandra Vanessa |
Parents |
Richard Kerry Rosemary Forbes |
Education |
Yale University (BA) Boston College (JD) |
Signature | |
Website | Government website |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/branch | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1966–1978 |
Rank | Lieutenant |
Unit |
USS Gridley (DLG-21) Coastal Squadron 1 |
Commands | PCF-44 PCF-94 |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War (WIA) |
Awards |
Silver Star Bronze Star (with valor) Purple Heart (3) Combat Action Ribbon |
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 68th United States Secretary of State from 2013 to 2017. A Democrat, he previously served in the United States Senate, where he was chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2004 presidential election, losing narrowly to Republican incumbent George W. Bush.
Kerry was born in Aurora, Colorado and attended boarding school in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He graduated from Yale University in 1966 with a major in political science. Kerry enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1966, and between 1968 and 1969, he served an abbreviated four-month tour of duty in South Vietnam as officer-in-charge (OIC) of a Swift Boat. For that service, he was awarded combat medals that include the Silver Star Medal, Bronze Star Medal, and three Purple Heart Medals. Securing an early return to the United States, Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War organization in which he served as a nationally recognized spokesman and as an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. He appeared in the Fulbright Hearings before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs where he deemed United States war policy in Vietnam to be the cause of war crimes.