A retired, four-star general in the United States Army, Colin Powell was the 65th United States Secretary of State. He served under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005 and was the first African American to hold the position. He was also the first and currently the only African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Powell was born on April 5, 1937 in Harlem, New York. He studied at City College of New York, and it was there that he discovered Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He graduated in 1958, and he began his military career with the United States Army.
Powell and his wife Alma Vivian Johnson have two daughters and one son. They currently live in Virginia.
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