A Tribute to Madeleine K. Albright

The Aspen Strategy Group mourns the passing of our long-time member and dear friend, Secretary Madeleine K. Albright. Madeleine was an exceptional diplomat and generous mentor: a force of intellect, force of nature, and always a force for good. Her steadfast values, tireless work ethic, deep love of country, quick wit, and fierce loyalty set her apart—far apart. It was an honor to call her a friend and have her serve as a dedicated member of our group.Among the many well-sung accomplishments in her life, Secretary Albright is of course most often remembered as being the first female U.S. secretary of state and honored for all that she achieved in that role. She continued to advance American foreign policy well after her time as secretary ended, with the substance and style that was uniquely hers. To all our discussions and initiatives at the Aspen Strategy Group, she brought her experience, passion, and boundless energy for tackling seemingly intractable policy challenges for over 19 years. We will remember her too as an active listener and—in true ASG form—always eager to learn and have her viewpoint challenged. At our last meeting in fall of 2021, on the topic of democracy, she memorably reminded us that while democracies have recently felt on the back foot, they are resilient and “freedom is poised for a comeback.” May we all help make that true.Throughout her career Secretary Albright devoted much time to mentoring the young professionals and students around her. She took pride in helping carry the torch of our co-founder Lt. General Brent Scowcroft by taking special interest each year in mentoring and speaking privately with our ASG Scowcroft Fellows on the sidelines of our meetings. The lives she impacted and improved were many. We are grateful that ours and those of our members were among them.We have lost a beloved member and friend. It was a privilege to know her and to be better for knowing her.  -Joe Nye, Condi Rice, Anja Manuel, Niamh King, and Leah Bitounis