Robert S. McNamara
| Robert McNamara | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| President of the World Bank Group | |
|
In office April 1, 1968 – July 1, 1981 |
|
| Preceded by | George Woods |
| Succeeded by | Tom Clausen |
| 8th United States Secretary of Defense | |
|
In office January 21, 1961 – February 29, 1968 |
|
| President |
John F. Kennedy Lyndon Johnson |
| Deputy |
Roswell Gilpatric Cyrus Vance Paul Nitze |
| Preceded by | Thomas Gates |
| Succeeded by | Clark Clifford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Strange McNamara June 9, 1916 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 6, 2009 (aged 93) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party |
Republican (until 1978) Democratic (1978–2009) |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret Craig (1940–1981) Diana Masieri Byfield (2004–2009) |
| Children | 3 (including Craig) |
| Education |
University of California, Berkeley (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1940–1946 |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant Colonel
|
| Unit |
 U.S. Army Air Forces
|
Robert Strange McNamara (June 9, 1916 – July 6, 2009) was an American business executive and the eighth Secretary of Defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, during which time he played a major role in escalating the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Following that, he served as President of the World Bank from 1968 to 1981. McNamara was responsible for the institution of systems analysis in public policy, which developed into the discipline known today as policy analysis. McNamara consolidated intelligence and logistics functions of the Pentagon into two centralized agencies: the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Defense Supply Agency.
Prior to his public service, McNamara was one of the "Whiz Kids" who helped rebuild Ford Motor Company after World War II and briefly served as Ford's President before becoming Secretary of Defense. A group of advisors he brought to the Pentagon inherited the "Whiz Kids" moniker.
McNamara remains the longest serving Secretary of Defense, having remained in office over seven years.
Robert McNamara was born in San Francisco, California. His father was Robert James McNamara, sales manager of a wholesale shoe company, and his mother was Clara Nell McNamara (neé Strange). His father's family was Irish and in about 1850, following the Great Irish Famine, had emigrated to the U.S., first to Massachusetts and later to California. He graduated from Piedmont High School in Piedmont in 1933, where he was president of the Rigma Lions boys club and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. McNamara attended the University of California, Berkeley and graduated in 1937 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics with minors in mathematics and philosophy. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa his sophomore year, and earned a varsity letter in crew. McNamara was also a member of the UC Berkeley's Order of the Golden Bear which was a fellowship of students and leading faculty members formed to promote leadership within the student body. He then attended Harvard Business School and earned an MBA in 1939.
...
Wikipedia