Secretaries of Defense Military history of Jewish Americans

1 secretaries of defense

1.1 james r. schlesinger
1.2 harold brown
1.3 william cohen

secretaries of defense
james r. schlesinger

james rodney schlesinger (born february 15, 1929) served secretary of defense 1973 1975 under presidents richard nixon , gerald ford. became america s first secretary of energy under jimmy carter. while secretary of defense, opposed amnesty draft resisters, , pressed development of more sophisticated nuclear weapon systems. additionally, support a-10 , lightweight fighter program (later f-16) helped ensure carried completion. schlesinger born in new york city, son of rhea lillian, russian jewish immigrant, , julius schlesinger, austrian jew. in 1960 published political economy of national security. in 1963 moved rand corporation, worked until 1969, in later years director of strategic studies.

harold brown

harold brown (born september 19, 1927) u.s. secretary of defense 1977 1981 in cabinet of president jimmy carter. brown jewish american born in new york city gertrude cohen , a. h. brown. had served in lyndon johnson administration director of defense research , engineering , secretary of air force. while secretary of defense, insisted in laying groundwork camp david accords. took part in strategic arms negotiations soviet union , supported (unsuccessfully), ratification of salt ii treaty. advocated détente soviet union.

william cohen

william sebastian cohen (born august 28, 1940) republican served secretary of defense (1997–2001) under democratic president bill clinton. father, reuben cohen, russian jewish immigrant, while mother, clara, of protestant irish ancestry; 2 owned bangor rye bread co. cohen attended hebrew school child. when told have undergo conversion ceremony (see matrilineality in judaism), however, decided not follow through bar mitzvah. instead, followed mother s example in refusing convert judaism , became christian, within unitarian universalist tradition.