Background
Clifford Alexander Junior was born in New York City in 1933 to Clifford Leopold Alexander and his wife.
lawyer United States Secretary of the Army
Clifford Alexander Junior was born in New York City in 1933 to Clifford Leopold Alexander and his wife.
Alexander graduated from Harvard College in 1955 and from Yale Law School in 1958.
He was the first African-American Secretary of the Army. He enlisted in the New York National Guard in 1958 and served briefly with the 369th Field Artillery Battalion at Fort Dix, New Jersey. She became a professor at George Washington University after earning her doctorate in history and has specialized in African-American history.
After being admitted to the bar, Alexander served as an assistant district attorney for New York County, 1959–1961.
He became executive director of the Manhattanville Hamilton Grange Neighborhood Conservation Projec. He next served as program and executive director of Harlem Youth Opportunities.
He also practiced law in New York City. In 1963 during the John F. Kennedy administration, Alexander was called to Washington to serve as a foreign affairs officer on the National Security Council staff
Alexander was appointed as chairman of the United States. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1967–1969.
Acting as a special representative of the President, he headed the United States. delegation to ceremonies marking the independence of the Kingdom of Swaziland in 1968. Leaving government service after Republican Richard M. Nixon was elected to the presidency, Alexander practiced law with the Washington firm of Arnold and Porter between 1969 and 1975. He was a television news commentator in Washington, District of Columbia, 1972–1976.
And also taught as a professor of law at Howard University, 1973–1974.
In 1974 he ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for mayor of the District of Columbia. Alexander returned to public service as Secretary of the Army under the Carter Administration, serving from February 14, 1977, to January 20, 1981.
During this time he concentrated upon making the all-volunteer Army work, stressed programs to enhance professionalism, and emphasized the award of contracts to minority businesses to fulfill the federal commitment to encourage diversity. Alexander has been outspoken in his opposition to the "Don"t Ask, Don"t Tell" policy.
He called for its repeal by Congress.
Rachel Maddow interviewed him on her Microsoft and National Broadcasting Company television shows on May 11, 2009 and June 28, 2013. He formed the consulting firm of Alexander and Associates in 1981. His and Adele"s daughter Elizabeth Alexander became a poet and professor of English at Yale University.
She was commissioned to present a poem for President Barack Obama"s presidential inauguration.
He is the first African American to be elected to this office. Alexander recited the poem "Praise Song for the Day" on January 20, 2009.
Their son Mark C. Alexander is a law professor at Seton Hall University. He has also served as an advisor to Bill Bradley, Ted Kennedy, and President Obama.
In addition, he serves on the boards of directors of several national corporations and is a member of the Board of Governors of the American Stock Exchange. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
