Engineering Memory of the Month

Professor Perry, U.S. Secretary of Defense

On January 24, 1994, management science and engineering Professor William Perry stood before the press corps as President Bill Clinton announced: “One year ago I selected Dr. Bill Perry to serve as my Deputy Secretary of Defense. Today, based on his lifetime of accomplishment and his solid leadership at the Pentagon, I'm proud to announce my intention to nominate him as the next Secretary of Defense.”

Within a couple of weeks, on Feb. 3, Perry began a three-year tenure in the job, making him one of the most highly accomplished engineers (from Stanford or possibly anywhere else) ever in government. At the time, the Pentagon’s budget was “only” $250 billion (it’s currently $510 billion), but the issues of the day involved such weighty challenges as rethinking the nation’s military and strategic posture given the end of the Cold War.

The picture above shows Perry (on the right) with Clinton, as they were escorted by U.S. Army Col. David H. Huntoon, during a formal inspection of troops at Fort Myer, Va., in 1997. Clinton presented Perry with the Presidential Medal of Freedom that day. 

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