Madeleine Korbel Albright was nominated by President Bill Clinton on 5 December 1996 as secretary of state. After being unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn in as the 64th secretary of state on 23 January 1997. Secretary Albright is the first female secretary of state and the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government.

Prior to her appointment, Secretary Albright served as the United States permanent representative to the United Nations and as a member of President Clinton's cabinet and National Security Council. Secretary Albright is the co-founder of the Center for National Policy, a nonprofit research organization formed in 1981 by representatives from government, industry, labor, and education.

As a research professor of international affairs and director of the Women in Foreign Service Program at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in international affairs, U.S. foreign policy, Russian foreign policy, and Central and Eastern European politics, and was responsible for developing and implementing programs designed to enhance women's professional opportunities in international affairs.

Dr. Albright has held several fellowships with prestigious institutions in Washington, D.C., area. From 1978-81, Secretary Albright was a staff member on the National Security Council, as well as a White House staff member, where she was responsible for foreign policy legislation. From 1976-78, she served as chief legislative assistant to Senator Edmund S. Muskie. Dr. Albright holds a B.A. from Wellesley College, and an M.A. and Ph.D from Columbia University's Department of Public Law and Government.

Secretary Albright is fluent in French and Czech, with good speaking and reading abilities in Russian and Polish.