The former secretary of state, who died last month, is being honored at a memorial service at Washington National Cathedral drawing much of the nation’s top leadership.
WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, President Biden and much of the nation's senior leadership paid tribute to former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, at a time when the West is grappling with the rise of authoritarianism she warned about so often.
Mr. Biden, who is leading an international coalition supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders, attended a memorial service at Washington National Cathedral a month after Ms. Albright died of cancer at the age of 84. He was joined by former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as a slew of lawmakers, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
Mr. Biden told a throng of 1,400 people that "in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, freedom has no greater defender than Madeleine Albright." "Your mother was a force, a force of nature," the president said to Ms. Albright's three daughters. She changed the course of history with her decency and grace, humanism and brilliance."
Mr. Biden recalls hearing about Ms. Albright's death while on board Air Force One on his way to Europe to urge NATO members to oppose Russia's aggressiveness against Ukraine. "It wasn't lost on me that Madeleine was a huge part of why NATO is still strong and energized today," the president added.
Ms. Albright became America's ambassador to the United Nations and the first female secretary of state after growing up in a family that fled Communism in Eastern Europe. She devoted most of her career to exposing the dangers of authoritarianism and pushing for global democracy's commitment. She urged for "forceful diplomatic pushback and increased economic and military backing for Ukraine" in her final guest column for The New York Times in February, just before the Russian invasion.
Remembering Madeleine K. Albright (1937-2022)
At the age of 84, the first woman to serve as Secretary of State, who ascended to prominence and reputation as a superb foreign affairs analyst, died.
- Madeleine Albright rose to prominence as a diplomat noted for her practicality, adaptability, and international flare as a child of Czech exiles.
- In her memoir, "Hell and Other Destinations," the former secretary of state reflects on how she remained relevant throughout her political career.
- Her Opinions: Here's what she had to say in 2020 on the importance of US involvement in global affairs and the need to rebuild democratic trust.
- Secretary Albright's first 100 days in the Clinton administration in 1997 were defined by a concentration on public relations and image development, according to the archives.
A who's who of the Democratic political and foreign policy elite, as well as some Republican sympathizers, attended the cathedral service. Mr. Biden will be joined by Mr. Clinton, who appointed Ms. Albright as Secretary of State for a term that lasted from 1997 to 2001, and Hillary Clinton, who pushed for her appointment as the first lady and subsequently occupied her post at the State Department.
After George P. Shultz and Colin L. Powell, Ms. Albright became the third former secretary of state to pass away in just over a year. The current secretary, Antony J. Blinken, who recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, as well as previous secretaries Condoleezza Rice and John F. Kerry, will represent her colleagues. Susan E. Rice and Samantha Power, both of whom worked with her at the UN and now occupy high positions in the Biden administration, intended to attend as well.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, C.I.A. Director William J. Burns and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan were among the high officials seen or anticipated. Ms. Albright was a mentor to several significant national security officials.
Ms. Albright had a longstanding connection to the church. She headed the Beauvoir board of directors in the 1970s, and all three of her daughters attended the Beauvoir School and graduated from the National Cathedral School, all of which are linked with the cathedral. Ms. Albright was a member of the Cathedral Chapter, the institution's governing board, at the time of her death.
Anne K. Albright, Alice P. Albright, and Katharine M. Albright, her children, will pay tribute to her. Condoleezza Rice, Wendy R. Sherman, the deputy secretary of state and a protégée of Ms. Albright, Rabbi David N. Saperstein, a former ambassador at large for international religious freedom, and Winifred S. Freund, the former secretary's college classmate and closest friend, will provide readings.
Former members of her security detail at the United Nations and the State Department served as pallbearers. Two musicians she knew, trumpeter Chris Botti and jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, will perform musical performances.
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