George Shultz, Secretary of State to President Ronald Reagan and a great architect of American diplomacy at the end of the Cold War, died on Saturday (6) at the age of 100. The death was announced Sunday by the Hoover Institute (7).
“One of the most important political strategists of all time, having served three US presidents, George P. Shultz died on February 6 at the age of 100,” said the institution linked to the University of Stanford in a statement posted on its website.
A man of vast experience and talent, Shultz has enjoyed success in politics, business and academia.
In the White House chaired by Ronald Reagan, famous for his internal disputes, Shultz was one of the less controversial figures. He cultivated cordial ties with Congress and the press and, more importantly, he had the strong support of the president himself, who kept him at the helm of diplomacy for six and a half years.
His efforts as the principal U.S. diplomat from 1982 to 1989 under Reagan’s Republican government helped end the Cold War.
As Secretary of State, Shultz’s Middle East policy was more moderate. He has repeatedly clashed with the Israeli ally, particularly over Lebanon, and opened contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization.
He achieved the rare feat of holding four cabinet positions, also serving as Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor, and Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Shultz remained active until he was 90, holding a position at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and chairing various boards. He also wrote books and spoke out against the Cuban embargo, climate change and Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
His most recent book, “A Hinge of History,” written with longtime State Department adviser James Timbie and published in November 2020, suggested that the world was at a pivotal moment, not unlike the one it was at. was faced with the end of World War II.