“I was taught to strive not because there were any guarantees of success but because the act of striving is in itself the only way to keep faith with life.”

“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent”

“What people have the capacity to choose, they have the ability to change.”

“I also think it is important for women to help one another. I have a saying: There is a special place in hell for women who don't.”

Madeleine Albright

Madeleine Albright was the first female U.S. Secretary of State who dedicated more than forty years of her life to speaking up for women’s rights. She was an immigrant who faced the challenges of moving to a different country to change the world for the better.  

Madeleine Albright was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, on May 15, 1937. Her father was the Ambassador of Czechoslovakia, but in 1939 the Nazis invaded her country and her family moved to England. After World War II, Madeleine and her family were able to move back to Czechoslovakia but were then forced to move to the U.S. after a communist coup occurred. Originally named Marie Jean “Madlenka” Korbel, after moving to the U.S., she changed her name to Madeleine and became a U.S. citizen in 1957. Her daughter said that even though her life changed after moving to the U.S., Madeleine Albright never forgot her time as a refugee.  

Madeleine Albright worked hard and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Wellesley College and her Ph.D. in Public Law and Government at Columbia University. After completing her education, she became chief legislative assistant to Senator Edmund Muskie, beginning her political career. After she worked for the Senator, she moved on and became a worker in the White House for the National Security Council. During her time in this position, it was her job to keep track of all legislation related to foreign policy. Later in her life, she served at the White House again, under President Bill Clinton. She was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for one term and in her second term she became the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State. She was the 64 th  U.S. Secretary of State and, at the time, was the highest-ranking woman in U.S. history.  

In 1959, three days after she graduated from Wellesley, Madeleine married Joseph Albright. She went on to have three daughters with Joseph. Two twins: Alice Albright and Anne Albright, and a third daughter, Katherine Albright. She was very involved with her daughters’ private school and seemed to be very close to her family. 

In 1982, Madeleine Albright started teaching at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She led the Women in Foreign Service Program, while also teaching as a professor of international affairs. She was elected as teacher of the year four times during her career at this school. Many of her coworkers held a high respect for her, and she invited many important people to the school, where she talked about many important topics including women’s equality. Not only did she use her position at Georgetown to discuss women’s rights, but she also appeared frequently on the show “Great Decisions.” Here, she continued to advocate for topics that she deemed important.  

Madeleine Albright not only paved the path for women today by being the first-ever U.S. secretary of state, but she was also an amazing mom and professor, who used her position to speak up for what she believed in and advocate for women’s rights.