Former Army Secretary Clifford Alexander ’58 to Deliver Dean’s Lecture

Clifford Alexander ’58, former Secretary of the U.S. Army, will deliver a Dean’s Lecture on Monday, Feb. 4, at 4:30 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge. Alexander will speak on the topic, “Post Racial: An American Delusion.” The lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow in the Alumni Reading Room.

Clifford Alexander is an American lawyer, businessman and public servant who, in 1977, was appointed the first African-American Secretary of the Army by President Jimmy Carter. His career has focused on improving living and working conditions for minorities and women. He played a role in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and other civil rights legislation and helped guide the Army’s transition to an all-volunteer force.

From 1964 through 1967, he served as deputy assistant, deputy special counsel, and then associate special counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson. Also under Johnson, he served as chairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1969, he became the first black partner at a major Washington law firm when he joined Arnold & Porter. He then went on to Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Alexander. In 1981, following his service as Secretary of the Army, he founded Alexander & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm that advises corporations on workforce inclusiveness. He holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University and a law degree from Yale.

For more information, contact marianne.dietz@yale.edu.