Her brief tenure as only the second woman to run the department came after years of service within the Reagan administration.
Author: Clay Risen
James G. Lowenstein, Whose Reports Questioned Vietnam War, Dies at 95
His deeply researched studies, drawing on extensive reporting in Southeast Asia, helped undermine President Nixon’s war plans.
Liz Robbins Dies at 76; Broke Glass Ceiling as a Washington Lobbyist
She founded the first woman-owned lobbying firm in the country, and made her name by supporting social policy and nonprofit causes.
Thomas Hughes, 97, Dies; Government Insider and Vietnam War Skeptic
Among the last of the Kennedy era’s “best and brightest,” he later transformed the Carnegie Endowment into a leading think tank.
Charlene Mitchell, 92, Dies; First Black Woman to Run for President
She was the Communist Party candidate in 1968 and later led the campaign to free Angela Davis. But she eventually split with the party.
Melody Miller, Trusted Aide to the Kennedys, Dies at 77
She worked with the family for over 40 years, mostly for Senator Ted Kennedy. But her duties went far beyond the office.
Michael J. Gerson, Presidential Speechwriter and Columnist, Dies at 58
He composed many of George W. Bush’s signature addresses, and later, as a writer for The Washington Post, took a stand against Donald J. Trump.
Romano Mazzoli, Who Oversaw Major Immigration Reform, Dies at 89
A House Democrat, he worked across the aisle with Senator Alan K. Simpson to enable a compromise allowing amnesty for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Ashton B. Carter, Defense Secretary Under Obama, Dies at 68
Trained as a physicist, he opened the U.S. military to transgender service members and removed barriers to women in combat roles.
John R. Froines, Chemist and Member of the Chicago Seven, Dies at 83
After his acquittal for inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, he became a leading environmental toxicologist, shaping government standards on lead and diesel exhaust.