Colin Powell

Research Paper # 103304

History > Leaders
Political Science > U.S.

Colin Powell

A discussion of the background, rise to power and current position of Colin Powell.

1,517 words () | 10 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper describes the life and rise to power of Colin Powell. It begins by describing his childhood. It then describes his entry into the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and his commission in the United States Army. The paper also discusses how Powell was appointed Head of the National Security Council by President Reagan and, later, the sixty-fifth secretary of state by George W. Bush.

From the Paper:

"Today, Colin Powell lives a fairly private life. In autumn 2003, he was diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and went under surgery that fully recovered. During Prostate Cancer Awareness Week in 2006, Powell was a key speaker on prevention. The same year, he toured the country as a motivational speaker with Rudy Giuliani. This tour, called Get Motivated, openly criticized Bush's administration. In July of 2007 Colin spoke up against the Iraqi war, claiming he spent hours trying to persuade President George W. Bush not to invade. Today he is a part of the board of director of a company called Revolution Health. This company, founded by the co-founder of American online, Steve Case, has a mission to change healthcare by giving people the tools, information and support needed to manage their health and wellness actively. Colin Powell did not only have a successful military career, he also had a very successful civilian life. During the African-American Civil Rights Movement Powell did not let this drag down his military career. His hard and dedicated built him to be the highest ranking person in the military, being the first African-American to hold the position."

Sample of Sources Used:

Brinkley, Joel. "Powell's Farewell: Pride, After 4 Years of Turmoil." The New York Times 20 Jan. 2005. 3 Nov. 2007 <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/20/politics/20powell.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>.
Brown, Warren. Colin Powell Military Leader. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1992.
Chew, Robin. "Colin Powell Soldier and Statesman." Lucidcafe. 1 Aug. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007 <http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96apr/powell.html>.
"Colin Powell Biography." Academy of Achievement. 11 Jan. 2006. 10 Oct. 2007 <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/pow0bio-1>.
"Colin Powell." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 3 Nov. 2007. 10 Oct. 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Powell>.