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U.S. & World

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has passed away. Here are her career highlights

Albright was the first female U.S. secretary of state

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
SHARE Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has passed away. Here are her career highlights
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright speaks in Philadelphia.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright speaks during the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, July 26, 2016.

Associated Press

Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died of cancer, her family said Wednesday. She was 84.

  • Albright helped lead Western foreign policy for the United States after the Cold War.

What happened: Albright’s family released a statement Wednesday that announced her death.

What they said: “She was surrounded by family and friends. We have lost a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend,” the family said in a statement.

Details: Albright worked under former President Bill Clinton’s administration, per CNN.

  • She served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations before she took on the secretary of state role.
  • Albright was a champion for NATO expansion, pushing for NATO to grow in order to “reduce the spread of nuclear weapons” and “stop genocide and ethnic cleansing,” according to CNN.

Worth noting: Former President Barack Obama awarded Albright with the Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor for a civilian, per NBC News.