On January 20, 2001, General Powell was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State, the first African-American to hold that position. General Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years during which time he held various positions and rose to the rank of 4-star General. His last military assignment, from October 1, 1989, to September 30, 1993, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. Following his retirement from the Army, he wrote his best selling memoir, My American Journey. Since leaving the State Department in January of 2005, he has been lecturing around the world and helping to raise funds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC and for the construction of an education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. General Powell is the Founder of the Colin Powell Policy Center at his alma mater, the City College of New York.
