Warren Christopher
Warren Christopher | |
---|---|
Richard G. Kleindienst | |
Personal details | |
Born | Warren Minor Christopher October 27, 1925 Scranton, North Dakota, U.S. |
Died | March 18, 2011 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 85)
Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouses | Joan Southgate Workman
(m. 1949; div. 1955)Marie Wyllis (m. 1956) |
Children | 4 |
Education | University of Redlands University of Southern California (BA) Stanford University (LLB) |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1942–1946 |
Rank | Ensign |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Warren Minor Christopher (October 27, 1925 – March 18, 2011) was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician. During Bill Clinton's first term as president, he served as the 63rd United States Secretary of State.
Born in Scranton, North Dakota, Christopher clerked for Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas after graduating from Stanford Law School. He became a partner in the firm of O'Melveny & Myers and served as Deputy Attorney General from 1967 to 1969 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He served as Deputy Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter, holding that position from 1977 to 1981. In 1991, he chaired the Christopher Commission, which investigated the Los Angeles Police Department in the wake of the Rodney King incident.
During the
Christopher oversaw the Gore campaign's
Early life
Warren Minor Christopher was born in Scranton, North Dakota, the son of Catherine Anne (née Lemen) and Ernest William Christopher, a bank manager.[1] He was of part Norwegian descent.[2]
Christopher graduated from
Legal career and Deputy Attorney General for Johnson
Christopher became the first graduate of Stanford Law School to become a U.S. Supreme Court law clerk when he clerked for Justice William O. Douglas from October 1949 to September 1950.[4] He practiced law with the firm of O'Melveny & Myers from October 1950 to June 1967, becoming a partner in 1958 and serving as special counsel to Governor Pat Brown.[5] Christopher served as United States Deputy Attorney General from June 1967 until January 20, 1969, after which he rejoined O'Melveny & Myers. President Lyndon B. Johnson selected him to assist federal efforts to combat the urban riots in Detroit during July 1967 and in Chicago during April 1968. In 1974, Christopher served as the president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. Attorney General Elliot Richardson considered appointing Christopher as the special counsel to investigate the Watergate scandal, but he declined.[6]
Deputy Secretary of State for Carter
Christopher was sworn in on February 26, 1977, as the
Professional work and achievements
Christopher's professional activities included service as president of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, 1974–1975; chairman of the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary of the American Bar Association, 1975–1976; member of the board of governors of the State Bar of California 1975–1976; and special counsel to California governor Edmund G. Brown in 1959.
Christopher's civic activities included the following: member and president of the board of trustees of
In 1981, Christopher received the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[10]
In 1991, Christopher served as chairman of the Independent Commission on the Los Angeles Police Department, which came to be known as the Christopher Commission. The Commission proposed significant reforms of the Los Angeles Police Department in the aftermath of the Rodney King incident (see 1992 Los Angeles riots), which were approved overwhelmingly at the ballot box. In 1992, Christopher headed the vice presidential search for Governor Bill Clinton's presidential campaign and served as the Director of his presidential Transition.[7]
Secretary of State for Clinton
Serving as Secretary of State from January 20, 1993 until January 17, 1997, Christopher's main goals were the enlargement of NATO, establishing peace between Israel and its neighbors, and using economic pressure to force China's hand on human rights practices. The major events transpiring during his tenure included the Oslo Accords, the Dayton Agreement, normalization of United States–Vietnam relations, the Rwandan genocide, Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, and the Khobar Towers bombing.
Assassination attempt on George H. W. Bush, April 1993
On April 13, 1993, eleven
Oslo Accords, September 1993
In August 1993, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meeting in
Partnership for Peace NATO expansion, January 1994
In order to initiate further enlargement of NATO with minimal backlash from Russia, Secretary Christopher promoted the Partnership for Peace program as a stepping-stone into full NATO membership. This was against protests from the Pentagon.
Rwandan Genocide, 1994
In what has been considered a terrible failure of the international community, the US and UN failed to intervene to stop the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Over the course of a hundred days, some 800,000 Tutsis were massacred by Hutu militia.[16] [17]
China: Delinking human rights and trade status, May 1994
During the 1992 presidential campaign, then-candidate Clinton blasted President George H. W. Bush for giving China low-tariff trading privileges despite its human rights abuses. Secretary Christopher agreed with this view and believed that the US should use economic pressure to force China to improve its human rights record. However, on May 26, 1994, President Clinton renewed China's low-tariff trading privileges, effectively delinking the human rights issue from China's trade relations with the US. U.S.-Sino relations improved as a result, with President Jiang Zemin visiting the U.S. in November 1997 and President Clinton visiting China in June 1998.[18]
Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti, September 1994
On September 19, 1994, a US-led coalition returned
Israel-Jordan peace treaty, October 1994
In the wake of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Secretary Christopher encouraged Jordan's
Vietnam: Normalizing relations, July 1995
Working with Senator
Dayton Agreement, November 1995
In
Khobar Towers bombing, June 1996
In the wake of the
Retirement
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2018) |
In addition to several honorary degrees, Christopher received the following awards: the Jefferson Award from the American Institute for Public Service for the Greatest Public Service Performed by an Elected or Appointed Official; the
Christopher's picture hangs in the
At the 1999 unveiling of his portrait at the Department of State, attended by President Clinton, Christopher remarked: "To anyone who has served in Washington, there is something oddly familiar about [having your portrait painted]. First, you're painted into a corner, then you're hung out to dry and, finally, you're framed."[citation needed]
He was sent to supervise the contested
He was an Advisory Board member for the Partnership for a Secure America, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recreating the bipartisan center in American national security and foreign policy.[citation needed]
Former Secretaries of State
From 2003 until his death, Christopher taught a small seminar course on international affairs as part of the Honors Program at
Family
Warren Christopher married twice. He married Joan Southgate Workman on June 14, 1949, in
He was married to Marie Wyllis from 1956 until his death; the couple had two sons: Scott (born December 27, 1957[28]) and Thomas (born July 24, 1959[29]), and a daughter, Kristen (born March 26, 1963[30]).
Christopher had five grandchildren: Andrew, Lauren, Warren, and Chloe Christopher, and Christopher Henderson.[4]
He wrote In the Stream of History: Shaping Foreign Policy for a New Era (1998) and Chances of a Lifetime (2001).[4]
Other
Christopher was a recipient of the state of
He was a senior partner at O'Melveny & Myers.[5]
World Justice Project
Christopher served as an Honorary Co-Chair for the
Death
Christopher died at his home in Los Angeles on March 18, 2011, from kidney and bladder cancer. He was 85 years old.[5][34][35] He was survived by his wife and four children from two marriages.[5][35][36] He is interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.
President Obama described Christopher as a "resolute pursuer of peace" for his work in the Middle East and the Balkans.[37] Hillary Clinton described Christopher as a "diplomat's diplomat – talented, dedicated and exceptionally wise".[38] He was described as "the best public servant I ever knew" by President Jimmy Carter in his memoirs.[35] On March 19, 2011, Carter stated that "[America] has lost a great and revered leader".[39]
See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 4)
- Timeline of United States and China relations 1995–1997
- Recount
References
- ^ Warren Minor Christopher biography at – via bookrags.com.
- ^ Cornwell, Rupert (March 22, 2011). "Warren Christopher: Lawyer and diplomat who served as Secretary of State under President Clinton". The Independent. London, UK.
- ^ Warren Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001) pp 9-19.
- ^ a b c Woo, Elaine (March 19, 2011). "Warren Christopher dies at 85; former secretary of State's quiet diplomacy was prized from Washington to L.A." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Robert D. Hershey Jr. (March 19, 2011). "Warren Christopher, Ex-Secretary of State, Dies at 85". The New York Times.
- OCLC 1260107112.
- ^ a b Steinberg, Mark. "A Goodbye to Warren Christopher". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ "Warren Christopher". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
- ^ "National - Jefferson Awards Foundation". Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
- ^ "The Bush assassination". Department of Justice/FBI Laboratory report. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001). Page 234.
- ^ "Cruise Missile Strike - June 26, 1993. Operation Southern Watch". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
- ^ Christopher, Warren. Chances of a Lifetime. (New York: Scribner Press, 2001) p. 200.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Manry, Bill Clinton pp 127-29.
- ^ "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide (2002) by Samantha Power, pp 329-90. online
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. p. 242.
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001) p. 192.
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001) p. 214.
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001) p. 293.
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001) p. 251
- ^ Christopher, Chances of a Lifetime. (2001) p. 225.
- ^ [1] Archived May 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Warren Christopher profile at". International Hot Spots/UCLA Spotlight. March 1, 2003. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
- ^ "Lynn Southgate Christopher (date of birth: 05/30/1952)". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ^ Scheer, Robert (February 21, 1993). "Clinton's Globe-trotter: Secretary of State Warren Christopher Knows the Power of Being an Insider With a Social Conscience. And He's Carrying it Into the Global Arena". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
- ^ "Scott W. Christopher (date of birth: 12/27/1967)". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ^ "Thomas W Christopher (date of birth: 07/24/1967)". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
- ^ "Kristen I. Christopher (date of birth: 03/26/1963)". CaliforniaBirthIndex.org. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
- ^ Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award — North Dakota Office of the Governor
- ^ "Honorary Chairs". World Justice Project. Archived from the original on 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ "About the". World Justice Project. Archived from the original on 2010-02-03. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
- ^ Tripp, Leslie (2011-03-19). "Former Secretary of State Warren Christopher dies". CNN. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
- ^ a b c "Former US Secretary of State Warren Christopher dies". BBC. March 19, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- msnbc.com. March 19, 2011. Archived from the originalon March 21, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ "Obama on Christopher: 'Resolute pursuer of peace'". USA Today. March 19, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ Hillary Clinton (March 19, 2011). "Passing of Warren Christopher". State Department. Archived from the original on March 21, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ Megan Matteucci (March 19, 2011). "Former Secretary of State Warren Christopher dies at 85". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
Further reading
- Cameron, Fraser. US foreign policy after the cold war: global hegemon or reluctant sheriff? (Routledge, 2006).
- Chollet, Derek. The Road to the Dayton Accords (Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2005). excerpt
- Dumbrell, John. "President Clinton's Secretaries of State: Warren Christopher and Madeleine Albright". Journal of transatlantic studies 6.3 (2008): 217–227.
- Girard, Philippe. Clinton in Haiti: the 1994 US invasion of Haiti. (Springer, 2004).
- Hamilton, Nigel. Bill Clinton: Mastering the Presidency (Public Affairs, 2007), with numerous chapters on foreign-policy; excerpt
- Hyland, William G. Clinton's World: Remaking American Foreign Policy (1999) excerpt; also online Archived 2020-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
- Larres, Klaus. "'Bloody as Hell' Bush, Clinton and the Abdication of American Leadership in the Former Yugoslavia, 1990–1995". Journal Of European Integration History 10 (2004): 179–202. [https://www.cvce.eu/content/publication/2013/6/17/454ffc3e-05f7-4357-a721-c695b0ac9157/publishable_en.pdf online pp 179–202.
- Levy, Peter B. Encyclopedia of the Clinton presidency (Greenwood, 2002)
- Maney, Patrick J. Bill Clinton: New Gilded Age President (2016). Scholarly survey; Christopher's foreign policy on pages 116–40.
- Murray, Leonie. Clinton, peacekeeping and humanitarian interventionism: rise and fall of a policy (Routledge, 2007).
- Power, Samantha. "A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide (2002) covers Bosnia, Kosovo, Srebenica, and Rwanda; Pulitzer Prize.online free to borrow
Primary sources
- Christopher, Warren. Chances of a Lifetime: A Memoir (2001) online
- Christopher, Warren. In the Stream of History: Shaping Foreign Policy for a New Era (1998) 37 episodes as Secretary of State, with commentary and speeches online
- Nelson, Michael, et al. eds. 42: Inside the Presidency of Bill Clinton (Miller Center of Public Affairs Books, 2016) excerpt pp 193–233, analysis of interviews with insiders on Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, and the Middle East.