General Colin Luther Powell, United States Army (Ret.) (born April 5, 1937) is a former American military leader and statesman. He became the first African-American to be confirmed as United States Secretary of State. As the 65th United States Secretary of State (2001-05) under President George W. Bush, Powell became the highest ranking African American government official in the history of the United States. Upon his appointment as Secretary of State, Powell became the highest-ranking person of African descent in the executive branch and the federal government, and prior to that, was the highest-ranking person of African descent in the military.
As a General in the United States Army, Powell also served as National Security Advisor (1987–1989) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989–1993), holding the latter position during the Gulf War. He was both the first, and only as of yet, African American and graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Program, to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.