Clifford Alexander Jr. was an advisor to presidents who became the first Black secretary of the Army.
- Died: July 3, 2022 (Who else died on July 3?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Manhattan of heart failure at the age of 88.
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Government service
Alexander worked as an assistant district attorney in New York County before joining the National Security Council staff under President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963). He became deputy special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908–1973), and then chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As an advisor to Johnson, he worked to advance voting rights and was a champion of civil rights. After working as a lawyer for some years after the Johnson administration, Alexander was appointed secretary of the Army under President Jimmy Carter. In that role, he oversaw forces that were just past the Vietnam era, and he worked to transition the Army from the days of the draft into a volunteer force. Alexander also focused on creating opportunities for minorities and women to advance in the Army. After leaving that post in 1981, Alexander founded the consulting firm Alexander & Associates; among his projects was advising Major League Baseball on promoting racial equality in their front offices.
Notable quote
“If you start with the proper assumption that all people born in this world start off even, no matter what their color, there shouldn’t be a requirement for whites or blacks to prove themselves. Political realities, unfortunately, go with your question: There were times—there still are times—when minorities have to prove themselves, more, perhaps, than the majorities do.” —from a 2012 interview for Military History
Tributes to Clifford Alexander Jr.
Full obituary: The Washington Post
