Aspen Strategy Group

William J. Perry

Professor, Stanford University

Program:
Aspen Strategy Group

Biography

William J. Perry is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor (emeritus) at Stanford University.  He is a senior fellow at FSI and serves as co-director of the Nuclear Risk Reduction initiative and the Prevention Defense Project. Previously, Secretary Perry was the 19th Secretary of Defense for the United States serving from 1994 to 1997. His previous government experience was as Deputy Secretary of Defense and as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. His previous academic experience was as a Professor at Stanford University from 1988 to 1993, during which time he was the Co-Director of the Center for International Security and Arms Control. Secretary Perry’s business experience includes serving as a laboratory director for General Telephone and Electronics; founding and serving as the President of ESL, Inc.; serving as Executive Vice-President of Hambrecht & Quist, Inc.; and founding and serving as the Chairman of Technology Strategies & Alliances. From 1946 to 1947, Perry was an enlisted man in the Army Corps of Engineers, and served in the Army of Occupation in Japan. He joined the Reserve Officer Training Corps in 1948 and was a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves from 1950 to 1955.  He received a B.S. and an M.S. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University, all in mathematics. He serves on the board of several emerging companies. He is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group.