| From First Lady to Secretary of State By: Gesina A. Phillips In addition to witnessing the inaugur- ation of a new President earlier this year, Americans saw the formation of an entirely new Cabinet. Though this may seem far less exciting than a new head of state, the members of the Cabinet play important roles as advisors and assistants to the President. Among them is Hillary Rodham Clinton, who became, well, the first First Lady to become a Cabinet member as President Obama’s Secretary of State. Clinton is not the first female Secretary of State—Madeline Albright holds this distinction, in her capacity as Secretary of State for Bill Clinton, followed by Condoleezza Rice during the second term of George W. Bush. However, Ms. Clinton and three of President Obama’s other Cabinet Secretaries join the determinedly growing number of female appointees to the United States Cabinet. Hillary Clinton, wife of former President Bill Clinton, has been active in the political and legal sectors for nearly forty years. She began her career as an attorney after attending Yale Law School (which, incidentally, is where she met Mr. Clinton). While working in the legal sector, Clinton became an advocate for children’s issues, a concern that she also addressed throughout her husband’s presidency. As First Lady, Clinton became involved in health care initiatives and traveled the world as an envoy for democracy and human rights. Clinton was elected to the United States Senate in 2000, a first both for a First Lady and for a woman in New York. In 2007, she campaigned for the presidency but lost the nomination to Barack Obama; however, soon after taking office, President Obama nominated Clinton as his Secretary of State. The main duty of the Secretary of State is to advise the President in matters of foreign affairs. Also in the job description, however, are tasks such as conducting international negotiations, attending foreign conferences, and overseeing the formation and application of treaties. As if these weren’t enough, Ms. Clinton is also in charge of overseeing the Department of State and the United States Foreign Service. On August 4, Clinton embarked on an 11-day diplomatic journey to Africa. Clinton visited seven nations—Kenya, South Africa, Angola, Congo, Nigeria, Liberia, and Cape Verde—in a mission focused on improving relationships between the United States and the African continent. While the Secretary focused on reinforcing relationships with some nations, she toured others in order to better understand their internal struggles. One such issue, which she has spoken out against, is the practice of systematic rape employed in the Congolese civil war. Barbara Cummings, the Diplomat in Residence at Howard University and Foreign Service officer of 27 years, believes that Clinton presents an excellent view of America abroad, and has been “better received in parts of the world” than the previous administration. Similarly, Steven Kelly, who is currently the Diplomat in Residence at Duke University (as well as a member of the Foreign Service since 1982), believes Clinton presents a “forceful personality” abroad. Her policy of “working with international partners and organizations, rather than following the ‘go it alone’ approach of the Bush administration,” has caused African nations to be “more well-disposed to the United States in matters of foreign affairs.” A glance at the Secretary’s record of daily appointments reveals daily press briefings, as well as conferences and meeting with varied world figures and foreign representatives. In addition to encountering a dizzying number of cultures, Clinton is charged with simultaneously promoting cordial relations and protecting U.S. interests—two seemingly incompatible aims. Far from being simply a figurehead, the Secretary of State is an integral component in America’s relations with the rest of the world. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
