Albright, Madeleine Korbel (1937- ), became the first woman secretary of state of the United States in 1997. President Bill Clinton appointed her to the post. Albright was United States ambassador to the United Nations (UN) from 1993 to 1997. At the UN, she became known as an outspoken supporter of human rights and the use of UN peacekeeping forces in troubled areas.

Albright was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic). Her maiden name was Madeleine Korbel. Her father was a Czech diplomat. When Nazi German forces occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939, her father fled with his family to Yugoslavia and, eventually, to Britain. The family returned to Czechoslovakia in 1945 but fled again in 1948 when Communists took over the country. They settled in the United States.

Albright received a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College in 1959 and a doctorate in government from Columbia University in 1976. She was married to Joseph Albright, a journalist, from 1959 to 1983.

Excerpt from the "Albright, Madeleine Korbel" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999