Cliff Alexander | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait,c. 1977 | |
| 13thUnited States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office February 13, 1977 – January 20, 1981 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Martin R. Hoffmann |
| Succeeded by | John O. Marsh Jr. |
| Chair of theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission | |
| In office August 4, 1967 – May 1, 1969 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Stephen N. Shulman |
| Succeeded by | William H. Brown III |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Clifford Leopold Alexander Jr. (1933-09-21)September 21, 1933 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 3, 2022(2022-07-03) (aged 88) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Elizabeth Mark |
| Education | |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1958 |
| Unit | New York National Guard • 369th Infantry Regiment |
Clifford Leopold Alexander Jr. (September 21, 1933 – July 3, 2022) was an American lawyer, businessman andpublic servant from New York City. He first served on theNational Security Council during theKennedy administration, before becoming chairman of theEqual Employment Opportunity Commission in 1967. He was appointedSecretary of the Army a decade later, becoming thefirst African American to hold the position. He served in that role until 1981.
Alexander was born inHarlem on September 21, 1933.[a][b] His fatherimmigrated to the United States from Jamaica and managed theRiverton Houses; his mother, Edith (McAllister), was a community leader who was an adviser on civil rights to several mayors.[a] Alexander attended the privateEthical Culture and Fieldston schools. He then studied government atHarvard College, graduating in 1955. He was the first African American to be elected president of its student council. He subsequently studied atYale Law School.[a][b] After graduating in 1958, he enlisted in the New YorkNational Guard and served briefly with the 369th Field Artillery Battalion atFort Dix, New Jersey.[1][2]
After being admitted to the bar, Alexander served as an assistantdistrict attorney forNew York County underFrank Hogan from 1959 to 1961.[b][3] He then became executive director of the Manhattanville Hamilton Grange Neighborhood Conservation Project,[4] before serving as program and executive director ofHarlem Youth Opportunities.[a][b]
Alexander was first called toWashington, D.C. in 1963 to serve as a foreign affairs officer on theNational Security Council staff, having been recommended toJohn F. Kennedy byMcGeorge Bundy.[a][b] He became the administration's unofficial adviser on race, with Kennedy asking him to observe theMarch on Washington.[a] Alexander later served as deputy special assistant toLyndon B. Johnson, associate special counsel, and deputy special counsel on theWhite House staff all during the span of 1964 to 1967.[3]
Throughout Johnson's presidency, Alexander continued to act as his go-between with the African American community, notably in the aftermath of theassassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[a] As a special representative of the President, Alexander headed the American delegation to ceremonies marking the independence of theKingdom of Swaziland in 1968.[3]
Alexander was appointed as the chairman of the U.S.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1967. During his tenure he elevated the agency to play a significant role in fighting workplace discrimination. He resigned from the agency in 1969, after President Richard Nixon demoted him from chairman to commissioner.[a]
Alexander practiced law with the Washington firm ofArnold and Porter between 1969 and 1975. He eventually became its first Black partner,[a][b] and successfully pressed the firm to employ graduates fromHoward University School of Law.[b][5] He also hosted a television talk showCliff Alexander: Black on White from 1972 to 1976.[a] He ran unsuccessfully in the1974 Democratic primary for the first directly-electedmayor of the District of Columbia, losing by 4,000 votes (53%-47% total) toWalter Washington, who won the general election.[6] He subsequently joinedVerner, Lipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand the following year. He also taught as a professor of law at Howard andGeorgetown University Law Center.[3]
Alexander returned to public service as Secretary of the Army under theCarter Administration, serving from 1977 to 1981.[b][5] He was the first African American appointed to this Cabinet position.[a][b] During this time, he concentrated upon improving the all-volunteer Army, stressing programs to enhance professionalism, and emphasizing the award of contracts to minority businesses to fulfill the federal commitment to encourage diversity.[b][5] He also sought to eliminate barriers to women and racial minorities being promoted to the rank ofgeneral.[b][7] One of the beneficiaries of Alexander's efforts wasColin Powell, who finished second in his class at theArmy Command and General Staff College.[b] Alexander also endorsed the increases in salary for military personnel andmilitary budget at the end of theVietnam War, stating that it was "a quality Army" with members who "work hard [and] take their training and their missions seriously".[b]
After his tenure as Secretary of the Army ended in 1981, Alexander formed the consulting firm of Alexander and Associates with his wife.[a] In addition, he served on the boards of directors of several national corporations and was a member of the Board of Governors of theAmerican Stock Exchange.[8] He served as a political and campaign advisor toBarack Obama in 2008.[a]
During an interview for the Koeppel report in the 1980, Alexander confessed that he expected to die before seeing an African-American Senator, President or head of a Fortune 500 company.[9]
Alexander was outspoken in his opposition to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the military, signed a statement in November 2008 calling for its repeal so that gays could serve openly.[10] He also expressed his point of view on the matter in his interviews byRachel Maddow on April 3 and May 11, 2009,[11][12] as well as on June 28, 2013.[13]
Alexander marriedAdele Logan in 1959.[a] She became a history professor atGeorge Washington University.[b] They remained married until his death. Together, they had two children:Elizabeth Alexander andMark C. Alexander. Elizabeth wrote and recited the poem "Praise Song for the Day" at thefirst inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009.[a] Mark is the first African American dean of theVillanova University School of Law.[b]
Alexander was a member ofOmega Psi Phi fraternity.[14] He relocated toManhattan in 2013.[b] He died on July 3, 2022, at his home in Manhattan. He was 88, and suffered from heart failure prior to his death.[a][b]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Army 1977–1981 | Succeeded by Percy A. Pierre Acting |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
