Condoleezza Rice (born 1954) is an American diplomat, political scientist, and academic who served as the 66th United States Secretary of State (2005–2009). A central figure in the administration of President George W. Bush, she was the first African-American woman to hold that office. Since leaving government, she has returned to academia and remains a prominent voice on global security, education, and American democracy.
Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Born | November 14, 1954, Birmingham, Alabama |
| Key Titles | Secretary of State (2005–2009); National Security Advisor (2001–2005) |
| Academic Roles | Director of the Hoover Institution (Since 2020); Former Provost of Stanford University |
| Political Party | Republican |
| Education | PhD in Political Science (University of Denver) |
| Nickname | “Condi” |
| Current Status | Director of the Hoover Institution; Stanford Professor; Part-owner of the Denver Broncos |
Early Life and Academic Rise
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Grew up in Segregated Alabama: Rice was raised in Birmingham during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. She was a childhood friend of one of the victims of the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
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Musical Talent: A child prodigy on the piano, she initially intended to be a professional musician before switching her focus to international relations after a class taught by Josef Korbel (the father of Madeleine Albright).
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Stanford Provost: In 1993, she became the youngest, first female, and first African-American Provost of Stanford University. She is credited with turning the university’s multimillion-dollar deficit into a surplus during her six-year tenure.
Years in the Bush Administration
Rice was one of the most influential advisors to President George W. Bush, serving during a transformative era in U.S. foreign policy.
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National Security Advisor (2001–2005): She was the first woman to hold this post. Her tenure was dominated by the response to the September 11 attacks, the start of the War on Terror, and the lead-up to the Invasion of Iraq.
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Secretary of State (2005–2009): Succeeding Colin Powell, she pioneered the concept of “Transformational Diplomacy.” This policy aimed to redistribute U.S. diplomats to volatile regions and use foreign aid to build sustainable, democratic governments rather than just managing stable ones.
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Key Missions: She was deeply involved in Six-Party Talks regarding North Korea’s nuclear program, negotiating Israeli-Palestinian border crossings in Gaza, and strengthening the U.S. alliance with India through a landmark civil nuclear agreement.
Life and Career in 2025
As of late 2025, Rice remains a high-profile figure in American public life, focusing on leadership, technology, and democracy.
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Hoover Institution Director: She continues to lead Stanford’s Hoover Institution, a conservative-leaning public policy think tank, where she oversees research on economic freedom and national security.
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Global Voice: In late 2025, she has been a vocal critic of U.S. isolationism, arguing at various university forums (including Notre Dame and Brown) that great powers cannot “mind their own business” and must actively shape the international order to counter the influence of Russia and China.
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Artificial Intelligence: She has become a leading voice on the intersection of AI and democracy, warning that the U.S. must lead in innovation to ensure that authoritarian regimes do not set the global standards for new technologies.
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Sports & Ownership: She remains an active member of the Denver Broncos ownership group and continues to be a prominent figure in the college football world.