WASHINGTON (AP) — Madeleine Albright, the first female U.S. secretary of state, has died of cancer, her family said Wednesday.
She was 84.
President Bill Clinton chose Albright as America’s top diplomat in 1996, and she served in that capacity for the last four years of the Clinton administration.
At the time, she was the highest-ranking woman in the history of U.S. government.
Albright was born in Czechoslovakia and immigrated to the U.S. She and her family settled in Denver, where she graduated high school from Kent Denver School in Cherry Hills.
She was not in the line of succession for the presidency, however, because she was a native of Czechoslovakia.
Senator John Hickenlooper released the following statement following the news Albright's death:
"We have lost a true giant. Madeleine Albright was a trailblazer. A refugee who fled Communism, her family settled in Denver and she grew up immersed in world affairs – her father started the Korbel School of International Studies at DU. One of the great foreign policy voices of our time, she became our first female U.S. Secretary of State. A master of statesmanship and a true friend.”
Gov. Polis released the following statement:
“Today, we mourn the loss of a true pioneer and history-maker with proud, deep roots in Colorado where her family moved when she was a young girl. Coloradans, Americans, and people around the world will be indebted to her service. Secretary Albright went on to serve as the first female U.S. Secretary of State, carrying with her a legacy of firsts. My heart goes out to former Secretary Albright’s loved ones and the international community, where her life continues to teach our nation and the world lessons of determination, wisdom, and grace in times of peace or unrest.”
