BIOGRAPHY:
*He was the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001-2005), serving under President George W. Bush
*He was a former four-star general in the United States Army
*He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff
*In 1997 Powell founded America's Promise -an organization with the objective of helping children from all socioeconomic sectors
He is an American statesman and a former four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001-2005), serving under President George W. Bush. Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State on November 15, 2004. During his military career, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987-1989), as Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Army Forces Command (1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1993), holding the latter position during the Gulf War. He was the first, and so far the only, African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. At the age of 49, Powell became Ronald Reagan's National Security Advisor, serving from 1987 to 1989 while retaining his Army commission as a lieutenant general. He was born in Harlem, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan to Jamaican immigrant parents and was raised in the South Bronx. In his autobiography, My American Journey, Powell named several officers he served under that inspired and mentored him. As a lieutenant colonel serving in South Korea, Powell regarded General Henry "Gunfighter" Emerson, as one of the most caring officers he ever met. Emerson was reputedly eccentric; he insisted his troops train only at night and made them repeatedly watch the television film Brian's Song, to promote racial harmony. Powell always professed, however, that what set Emerson apart, was his great love of his soldiers and concern for their welfare. Powell has been married to Alma Johnson since 1962. Their son, Michael Powell, was the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2001 to 2005. In 1997 Powell founded America's Promise -an organization with the objective of helping children from all socioeconomic sectors. Colin Powell has recieved many awards and honors such as; honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (1993), the prestigious Sylvanus Thayer Award by the United States Military Academy for his commitment to the ideals of "Duty, Honor, Country."(1998), and the 2002 Liberty Medal. In his acceptance speech, Powell reminded Americans that "It is for America, the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, to help freedom ring across the globe, unto all the peoples thereof. That is our solemn obligation, and we will not fail."