Clifford Leopold Alexander Jr. (September 21, 1933 – July 3, 2022) was an American lawyer, businessman and

public servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

from New York City. He first served on the

National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...

during the Kennedy administration, before becoming chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1967. He was appointed

Secretary of the Army The secretary of the Army (SA or SECARMY) is a senior civilian official within the United States Department of Defense, with statutory responsibility for all matters relating to the United States Army: manpower, personnel, reserve affairs, insta ...

a decade later, becoming the

first African American African-Americans are an ethnic group in the United States. The first achievements by African-Americans in diverse fields have historically marked footholds, often leading to more widespread cultural change. The shorthand phrase for this is "bre ...

to hold the position. He served in that role until 1981.

Early life and background

Alexander was born in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...

on September 21, 1933. His father immigrated to the United States from Jamaica and managed the

Riverton Houses The Riverton Houses is a large (originally 1,232 unit) residential development in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. Ownership The project was proposed by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in 1944, and largely served an African American p ...

; his mother, Edith (McAllister), was a community leader who was an adviser on civil rights to several mayors. Alexander attended the private Ethical Culture and Fieldston schools. He then studied government at

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, graduating in 1955. He was the first African American to be elected president of its student council. He subsequently studied at

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...

. After graduating in 1958, he enlisted in the New York National Guard and served briefly with the 369th Field Artillery Battalion at

Fort Dix, New Jersey Fort Dix, the common name for the Army Support Activity (ASA) located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is a United States Army post. It is located south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Fort Dix is under the jurisdiction of the Air Force A ...

.Clifford Leopold Alexander Jr.
''Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army'', 1992 edition.

Career

Early years and National Security Council

After being admitted to the bar, Alexander served as an assistant

district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...

for

New York County Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

under Frank Hogan from 1959 to 1961. He then became executive director of the Manhattanville Hamilton Grange Neighborhood Conservation Project, before serving as program and executive director of

Harlem Youth Opportunities Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harle ...

. Alexander was first called to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1963 to serve as a foreign affairs officer on the

staff, having been recommended to

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

McGeorge Bundy McGeorge "Mac" Bundy (March 30, 1919 – September 16, 1996) was an American academic who served as the U.S. National Security Advisor to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson from 1961 through 1966. He was president of the Ford Founda ...

. He became the administration's unofficial adviser on race, with Kennedy asking him to observe the

March on Washington The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, also known as simply the March on Washington or The Great March on Washington, was held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The purpose of the march was to advocate for the civil and economic righ ...

. Alexander later served as deputy special assistant to Lyndon B. Johnson, associate special counsel, and deputy special counsel on the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

staff all during the span of 1964 to 1967. Throughout Johnson's presidency, Alexander continued to act as his go-between with the African American community, notably in the aftermath of the

assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...

As a special representative of the President, Alexander headed the American delegation to ceremonies marking the independence of the

Kingdom of Swaziland Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...

in 1968.

Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Alexander was appointed as the chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 1967. During his tenure he elevated the agency to play a significant role in fighting workplace discrimination. He resigned from the agency in 1969, after President Richard Nixon demoted him from Chairman to commissioner.

Private practice

Alexander practiced law with the Washington firm of

Arnold and Porter Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP is an American multinational law firm. A white-shoe firm, Arnold & Porter is among the largest law firms in the world, by both revenue and by its number of lawyers. History Arnold & Porter was founded in 1946 by ...

between 1969 and 1975. He eventually became its first Black partner, and successfully pressed the firm to employ graduates from

Howard University School of Law Howard University School of Law (Howard Law or HUSL) is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldes ...

. He also hosted a television talk show ''Cliff Alexander: Black on White'' from 1972 to 1976. In 1974, he ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for mayor of the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

. He subsequently joined Verner, Lipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand the following year. He also taught as a professor of law at Howard and Georgetown University Law Center.

Secretary of the Army

Alexander returned to public service as Secretary of the Army under the

Carter Administration Jimmy Carter's tenure as the 39th president of the United States began with his inauguration on January 20, 1977, and ended on January 20, 1981. A Democrat from Georgia, Carter took office after defeating incumbent Republican President ...

, serving from 1977 to 1981. He was the first African American appointed to this Cabinet position. During this time, he concentrated upon improving the all-volunteer Army, stressing programs to enhance professionalism, and emphasizing the award of contracts to minority businesses to fulfill the federal commitment to encourage diversity. He also sought to eliminate barriers to women and racial minorities being promoted to the rank of

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

. One of the beneficiaries of Alexander's efforts was

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

, who finished second in his class at the Army Command and General Staff College. Alexander also endorsed the increases in salary for military personnel and military budget at the end of the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, stating that it was "a quality Army" with members who "work hard ndtake their training and their missions seriously".

Later life

After his tenure as Secretary of the Army ended in 1981, Alexander formed the consulting firm of Alexander and Associates with his wife. In addition, he served on the boards of directors of several national corporations and was a member of the Board of Governors of the

American Stock Exchange NYSE American, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange (AMEX), and more recently as NYSE MKT, is an American stock exchange situated in New York City. AMEX was previously a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was known ...

. He served as a political and campaign advisor to

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

in 2008. Alexander was outspoken in his opposition to the "

Don't Ask, Don't Tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on December ...

" policy of the military, signed a statement in November 2008 calling for its repeal so that gays could serve openly. He also expressed his point of view on the matter in his interviews by

Rachel Maddow Rachel Anne Maddow (, ; born April 1, 1973) is an American television news program host and liberal political commentator. Maddow hosts ''The Rachel Maddow Show'', a weekly television show on MSNBC, and serves as the cable network's special eve ...

on April 3 and May 11, 2009, as well as on June 28, 2013.

Personal life and death

Alexander married Adele Logan in 1959. She became a history professor at

George Washington University , mottoeng = "God is Our Trust" , established = , type = Private federally chartered research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.8 billion (2022) , preside ...

. They remained married until his death. Together, they had two children: Elizabeth Alexander and

Mark C. Alexander Mark C. Alexander is an American attorney, law professor, educator, and in the last aforementioned capacity the dean of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. He was previously an associate dean for academics and law professor at ...

. Elizabeth wrote and recited the poem "

Praise Song for the Day "Praise Song for the Day" is an occasional poem written by the American poet Elizabeth Alexander and delivered at the 2009 presidential inauguration of President Barack Obama. The poem is the fourth to be delivered at a United States presidenti ...

" at the first inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009. Mark was the first African American dean of the

Villanova University School of Law Villanova University's Charles Widger School of Law (known as Villanova University School of Law) is a law school of the Villanova University in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1953, the School of Law is approved by the American Bar Associati ...

. Alexander was a member of

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...

fraternity. He relocated to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

in 2013. He died on July 3, 2022, at his home in Manhattan. He was 88, and suffered from heart failure prior to his death.

References

External links

Clifford Alexander's oral history video excerpts
at The National Visionary Leadership Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Clifford Jr. 1933 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 21st-century American lawyers African-American lawyers Arnold & Porter people Candidates in the 1974 United States elections Carter administration personnel Chairs of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Deaths from congestive heart failure Ethical Culture Fieldston School alumni Harvard College alumni Howard University faculty Lawyers from New York City Lawyers from Washington, D.C. Lyndon B. Johnson administration personnel Military personnel from New York City New York (state) Democrats New York (state) lawyers New York National Guard personnel People from Harlem Television personalities from Washington, D.C. United States Secretaries of the Army Washington, D.C., Democrats Yale Law School alumni