Robert Gates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Gates
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Official portrait, 2006
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| 22nd United States Secretary of Defense | |
| In office December 18, 2006 – June 30, 2011 |
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| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Gordon R. England William J. Lynn III |
| Preceded by | Donald Rumsfeld |
| Succeeded by | Leon Panetta |
| 24th Chancellor of the College of William & Mary | |
| Assumed office February 3, 2012 |
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| President | W. Taylor Reveley III Katherine Rowe |
| Preceded by | Sandra Day O'Connor |
| 22nd President of Texas A&M University | |
| In office August 1, 2002 – December 16, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Ray M. Bowen |
| Succeeded by | Ed J. Davis (Interim) |
| 15th Director of Central Intelligence | |
| In office November 6, 1991 – January 20, 1993 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Deputy | Richard James Kerr William O. Studeman |
| Preceded by | William H. Webster |
| Succeeded by | R. James Woolsey Jr. |
| Acting December 18, 1986 – May 26, 1987 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | William J. Casey |
| Succeeded by | William H. Webster |
| 17th United States Deputy National Security Advisor | |
| In office March 20, 1989 – November 6, 1991 |
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| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John Negroponte |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Howe |
| 16th Deputy Director of Central Intelligence | |
| In office April 18, 1986 – March 20, 1989 |
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| President | Ronald Reagan George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | John N. McMahon |
| Succeeded by | Richard James Kerr |
| 36th National President of the Boy Scouts of America | |
| In office 2014–2016 |
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| Preceded by | Wayne M. Perry |
| Succeeded by | Randall Stephenson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Michael Gates
September 25, 1943 Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Becky Wilkie
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | College of William & Mary (BA) Indiana University Bloomington (MA) Georgetown University (PhD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1967–1969 |
| Rank | First lieutenant |
Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American leader who has held many important jobs in the U.S. government and in education. He was the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He worked for two different presidents: George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Gates started his career in the United States Air Force. Soon after, he joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He worked for the CIA and the National Security Council for 26 years. He even became the director of the CIA from 1991 to 1993.
After leaving the CIA, Gates became the president of Texas A&M University. He also served on the boards of several companies. In 2006, President George W. Bush chose him to be the Secretary of Defense. He was approved by lawmakers from both major political parties.
Time magazine called him one of the most important people in 2007. In 2008, U.S. News & World Report named him one of America's Best Leaders. He continued as Secretary of Defense under President Barack Obama. When he retired in 2011, President Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in the U.S.
Since then, Gates has been the president of the Boy Scouts of America. He also served as the Chancellor of the College of William & Mary. In 2012, he became a member of the National Academy of Public Administration.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Robert Gates was born in Wichita, Kansas. His parents were Isabel and Melville Gates. As a young person, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Later, as an adult, he received special awards from the BSA.
He finished high school at Wichita High School East in 1961. He is also a member of the Order of the Arrow, which is the BSA's honor society. In 2017, he was named the BSA National Alumnus of the Year.
College and Advanced Degrees
Gates received a scholarship to attend the College of William & Mary. He earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1965. While there, he was very active in student groups. He was president of a service fraternity and a young Republicans club.
At his graduation, he received an award for his contributions to others. He then earned a master's degree in history from Indiana University Bloomington in 1966. In 1974, he earned his PhD in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University.
Gates has also received many honorary degrees from different universities. He married Rebecca "Becky" Wilkie in 1967. They have two children.
Working for the Government
Starting in Intelligence
While at Indiana University, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) hired Gates in 1966. In 1967, he became an officer in the United States Air Force. He worked as an intelligence officer for two years. He gave important briefings to missile crews.
After his military service, he returned to the CIA as an intelligence analyst. He wrote his PhD paper while working there. Gates left the CIA in 1974 to work for the National Security Council. He came back to the CIA in 1979. He held several leadership roles, becoming deputy director of central intelligence in 1986.
Leading the CIA
In 1991, President George H. W. Bush nominated Gates to be the Director of Central Intelligence (head of the CIA). The Senate approved him, and he took office on November 6, 1991.
During his time as director, his deputies included Richard J. Kerr and Adm. William O. Studeman. He served until 1993. Gates and other advisors believed that the U.S. should not get too involved in the breakup of Yugoslavia. They understood the long history of conflict there.
Gates was investigated about his knowledge of the Iran-Contra Affair. This was a political scandal from the 1980s. Investigators looked into his actions and statements. In the end, the investigation found that his activities did not require prosecution.
After the CIA
Academic and Public Roles
After leaving the CIA in 1993, Gates became a professor and speaker. He taught at many top universities like Harvard and Yale. In 1996, he wrote his autobiography called From the Shadows. He also wrote many articles about government and foreign policy.
Leading Texas A&M University
From 1999 to 2001, Gates was the interim Dean of the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. On August 1, 2002, he became the 22nd president of the university. As president, Gates worked to improve the university in several ways. He helped increase the number of teachers and built new buildings. He also worked to make the student body more diverse.
He left Texas A&M on December 16, 2006, to become Secretary of Defense. The university later gave him and his wife honorary degrees.
Other Public Service
Gates is a former president of the National Eagle Scout Association. In 2004, he helped lead a group that studied U.S. relations with Iran. They suggested talking directly with Iran about its nuclear program.
Before becoming Secretary of Defense, Gates was part of the Iraq Study Group. This group studied the Iraq War and made recommendations.
In 2005, Gates was asked to become the new director of national intelligence. He thought about it carefully but decided to stay at Texas A&M. He felt he had more to look forward to at the university.
Secretary of Defense
Under President Bush
On November 8, 2006, President George W. Bush announced that he wanted Gates to be the next Secretary of Defense. Gates was approved by the Senate with a vote of 95 to 2. He was sworn in on December 18, 2006.
As Secretary of Defense, Gates led the "troop surge" in the Iraq War. This was a new plan to send more troops to Iraq. As violence decreased, he also started to pull troops out of Iraq. This plan continued under the next president.
In 2008, Gates announced that two top Air Force leaders would resign. This was because of mistakes in handling nuclear weapons.
Under President Obama
On December 1, 2008, President-elect Obama announced that Gates would stay on as Secretary of Defense. Gates was one of only a few Cabinet members to serve under presidents from different political parties. One of his first tasks was to review the U.S. plan for the war in Afghanistan.
Gates continued to pull troops out of Iraq. He also sent more troops to Afghanistan in 2009. He changed the top military commander in Afghanistan, which was a rare move.
In 2009, Gates visited Afghanistan after President Obama announced more troops would be sent there. Time magazine noted that Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton worked very well together.
In 2010, Gates announced that the military would allow women to serve on submarines. He also prepared the armed forces to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. This policy had prevented gay people from serving openly in the military.
Gates said in August 2010 that he would retire in 2011. In March 2011, he directed the U.S. military's role in the 2011 military intervention in Libya.
Gates was in the famous White House Situation Room photograph when Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. He officially retired on July 1, 2011. President Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom at his retirement ceremony.
Saving Money in Defense
Gates worked to change how the military spent money. In 2009, he suggested cutting programs for traditional warfare. Instead, he wanted to spend more on things like special forces. He called this the "nation's first truly 21st century defense budget."
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He wanted the military to save $100 billion by 2015. He said it was important to avoid big cuts that could hurt defense. He closed the United States Joint Forces Command and reduced the number of generals and admirals.
Thoughts on NATO
In 2011, Gates gave a speech to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). He said that other NATO countries needed to spend more on their defense. He worried that the U.S. was carrying too much of the financial burden. He warned that future U.S. leaders might not see the value in NATO if this continued.
College Chancellor (2011–2025)
In September 2011, Gates became the chancellor at the College of William & Mary. He took over from Sandra Day O'Connor. He started his seven-year term in February 2012. In 2018, he was chosen to serve a second seven-year term.
Other Activities
Gates is a partner in a consulting firm called RiceHadleyGates LLC. He also serves as an honorary director for the Atlantic Council. In 2012, he was elected to the board of directors for Starbucks.
In 2013, the Boy Scouts of America elected Gates to its national executive board. In May 2014, he became the BSA national president for two years. In 2015, he stated that the ban on gay adult leaders in the BSA could not continue. He said he would not try to remove the charters of scout units that accepted gay adult leaders.
In 2014, Gates wrote an article about Vladimir Putin and Russian expansion. He also wrote about the need for strong leadership. In 2021, Gates and other former secretaries of defense wrote an article. They told President Trump not to involve the military in election results.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gates was part of a group that advised on the crisis.
His Memoirs
In his book, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Gates shared his thoughts. He both praised and criticized President Obama's military leadership. He wrote that he never doubted Obama's support for troops. However, he sometimes questioned Obama's support for their mission in Afghanistan. He also said he was proud to work for a president who made brave decisions, like the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Awards and Honors
Robert Gates has received many awards and honors throughout his career.
- Government awards
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Presidential Citizens Medal
National Security Medal
National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (2 awards)
Distinguished Intelligence Medal (3 awards)
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- Other awards
- Liberty Medal (2011)
- Eagle Scout
- Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
- Silver Buffalo Award
- Vigil Honor, Order of the Arrow
- Distinguished Service Award (DSA), Order of the Arrow, August 4, 2015
- Honorary degrees from many universities, including Kansas State University, College of William and Mary, Georgetown University, Indiana University, The University of Oklahoma, Yale University, University of Notre Dame, and The University of South Carolina.
- Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award from College of William and Mary
- Alumni Medallion from College of William and Mary Alumni Association
- Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor from Texas A&M University
- Arthur S. Flemming Award of 1978
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1992)
- George Bush Award (2007)
- Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine: Person of the Year 2008
- MTV University Man of the Year 2010
- Named one of Foreign Policy's top global thinkers
- Sylvanus Thayer Award (United States Military Academy)
- Robert C. Vance Distinguished Lecturer, Central Connecticut State University, 2011
- Order of Bahrain, 1st Degree
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, 2017
Images for kids
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Robert Gates's signature.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Gates para niños
