Madeleine Albright, who was the first woman to be elected Secretary of State for the United States, has passed away at 84.
Albright’s family confirmed the news, posting a StatementFollow her on Twitter.
“We are heartbroken to announce that Dr. Madeleine K. Albright, the 64th U.S. Secretary of State and the first woman to hold that position, passed away earlier today,”The statement is as follows: “The cause was cancer.
“She was surrounded by family and friends. We have lost a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend,”The statement was continued.
Albright, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, first served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before becoming the nation’s top diplomat in Clinton’s second term.
Albright was born Marie Jane Korbelova and arrived in the United States as a refugee from Prague in 1948. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2012 after a notable career in the world of American policy-making.
At the time of her death, Albright served as a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, part of Dentons Global Advisors, chair of Albright Capital Management, president of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, chair of the National Democratic Institute and chair of the U.S. Defense Policy Board.
She was also a lifetime trustee for The Aspen Institute and a member the Washington National Cathedral chapter.
Albright is the founder of the Albright Institute for Global Affairs, Wellesley College. She has also written books. “Fascism: A Warning”And “Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948.”
Albright is survived her three daughters, Alice Anne, Anne, and Katie who she shared with Joseph Medill Patterson Albright. The couple divorced in 1983. Albright is survived by his sister Kathy Silva, John Korbel and six grandchildren.
Albright was remembered for his work as “a lovely, great, proud American who always understood the importance of democracy here and abroad,”Michael Beschloss, a historian and author, wrote on Twitter.
Many others also took to Twitter and posted their tributes.