Andrew Marshall (foreign policy strategist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Marshall
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| 1st Director of Office of Net Assessment | |
| In office January 14, 1973 – January 2, 2015 |
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| President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | James H. Baker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 13, 1921 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | March 26, 2019 (aged 97) Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Chicago University of Detroit Wayne State University University of Chicago (MA) George Washington University |
| Nickname | "Yoda" |
Andrew W. Marshall (born September 13, 1921 – died March 26, 2019) was an American expert in foreign policy. He worked for the United States Department of Defense for a very long time. From 1973 to 2015, he led a special group called the Office of Net Assessment.
President Richard Nixon first chose him for this job. Andrew Marshall stayed in his role through many different presidents. He retired on January 2, 2015. After him, James H. Baker took over.
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Early Life and Learning
Andrew Marshall grew up in Detroit, Michigan. From a young age, he loved to learn on his own. He read a lot about history, books, and how society works.
In 1939, he finished Cass Technical High School. He was very good at school. After high school, he worked in a factory for a short time. He also went to the University of Detroit for a year. He then left college to work at the Murray Body Company. There, he made tools for British airplane parts.
Andrew Marshall could not join the military in World War II because of a heart problem. So, he kept working at the factory. In 1943, he went back to school at Wayne State University.
In 1945, he was accepted into the University of Chicago. He studied economics there and earned a master's degree in 1949. His master's paper was about how the US economy works. It was important for its new methods.
Working at RAND Corporation
After his master's degree, Andrew Marshall joined the RAND Corporation in 1949. RAND was one of the first "think tanks." A think tank is a group of experts who do research and give advice on important topics.
At RAND, Marshall became known as a "strategic thinker." He worked with other smart people like Herman Kahn. They developed new ways to solve complex problems.
Leading the Office of Net Assessment
Later, James Schlesinger, who was a friend from RAND, became the US Secretary of Defense. He created the Office of Net Assessment. Andrew Marshall became its first director.
The main job of this office was to study future challenges. It helped the government understand what might happen next. This included looking at how other countries were developing.
Many people who worked for Andrew Marshall later became very important. They went on to lead in government, businesses, and universities. Some famous people who learned from him include Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. They called him "Yoda" because he was so wise.
In 2003, Marshall asked for a report about future global problems. This report looked at how big changes in climate could lead to serious shortages of water and energy. It suggested these problems could cause conflicts by 2020. The report was not widely shared at first. But it later became known because of its link to Marshall.
A Chinese general named Chen Zhou said in 2012 that Andrew Marshall was very important. He helped change how China thought about its defense in the 1990s and 2000s.
Andrew Marshall also supported books by Michael Pillsbury. These books explored how China views its future and its place in the world. Pillsbury said Marshall was great at asking the right questions. He could find the most important things to study.
In 2012, Foreign Policy magazine named Marshall one of the "Top 100 Global Thinkers." They said he thought "way, way outside the Pentagon box."
Death
Andrew Marshall passed away on March 26, 2019. He was 97 years old. He died in Arlington, Virginia.
A politician named Mac Thornberry announced his death. He said that few people had a bigger impact on guiding US defense efforts than Mr. Marshall. He added that Marshall made a huge difference.
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Andrew Marshall
