Warren Christopher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Warren Christopher
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Official portrait, c. 1993
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| 63rd United States Secretary of State | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – January 17, 1997 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Deputy | Clifton R. Wharton Jr. Strobe Talbott |
| Preceded by | Lawrence Eagleburger |
| Succeeded by | Madeleine Albright |
| 5th United States Deputy Secretary of State | |
| In office February 26, 1977 – January 20, 1981 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Charles W. Robinson |
| Succeeded by | William P. Clark Jr. |
| 9th United States Deputy Attorney General | |
| In office March 10, 1967 – January 20, 1969 |
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| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Ramsey Clark |
| Succeeded by | Richard G. Kleindienst |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Warren Minor Christopher
October 27, 1925 Scranton, North Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | March 18, 2011 (aged 85) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Joan Southgate Workman
(m. 1949; div. 1955)Marie Wyllis
(m. 1956) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Redlands University of Southern California (BA) Stanford University (LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank |  Ensign |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Warren Minor Christopher (October 27, 1925 – March 18, 2011) was an American lawyer and diplomat. He also worked as a politician. He is best known for serving as the 63rd United States Secretary of State. He held this important role during Bill Clinton's first term as president.
Christopher was born in Scranton, North Dakota. After finishing law school, he worked for a Supreme Court Justice. He later became a partner at a law firm. He served as Deputy Attorney General from 1967 to 1969. This was under President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Later, he became Deputy Secretary of State for President Jimmy Carter. He held this job from 1977 to 1981. In 1991, he led a group called the Christopher Commission. This group looked into the Los Angeles Police Department after the Rodney King incident.
During the 1992 presidential election, Christopher helped Bill Clinton choose his running mate. Clinton picked Senator Al Gore. After Clinton won, Christopher helped with the new administration's transition. He became Secretary of State in 1993.
As Secretary of State, Christopher worked on many global issues. He wanted to make NATO bigger. He also tried to bring peace between Israel and Palestine. He pushed China to improve its human rights practices. He also helped create the Dayton Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War. He left office in 1997. Madeleine Albright took over his role.
After his time as Secretary of State, Christopher helped with the Florida recount for Al Gore. This happened after the close 2000 presidential election. He passed away in 2011. At that time, he was a senior partner at a law firm. He also taught at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Warren Minor Christopher was born on October 27, 1925. His hometown was Scranton, North Dakota. His parents were Catherine Anne and Ernest William Christopher. His father was a bank manager.
He went to Hollywood High School in Los Angeles. He then attended the University of Redlands. Later, he transferred to the University of Southern California (USC). He was part of the Kappa Sigma Sigma fraternity. He graduated from USC in February 1945 with high honors.
From 1943 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy Reserve. He was an ensign and served in the Pacific during World War II. In 1946, he started at Stanford Law School. There, he helped start the Stanford Law Review and was its first editor.
Working for the Government
Christopher became the first Stanford Law School graduate to work for a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. He worked for Justice William O. Douglas from 1949 to 1950. After that, he worked as a lawyer at O'Melveny & Myers. He became a partner in 1958.
President Lyndon B. Johnson chose him to be United States Deputy Attorney General. He held this job from 1967 to 1969. During this time, he helped the government respond to riots in Detroit and Chicago.
Deputy Secretary of State
Christopher became the Deputy Secretary of State in 1977. He served in this role until 1981. As Deputy Secretary, he helped with the Iran hostage crisis negotiations. These talks led to the safe release of 52 American hostages in Iran.
He also worked to improve relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China. He helped get the Panama Canal treaties approved. He also led the first government group focused on human rights. President Jimmy Carter gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in the U.S.
Secretary of State for President Clinton
Christopher served as Secretary of State from January 20, 1993, to January 17, 1997. His main goals were to expand NATO and bring peace to the Middle East. He also wanted to use economic pressure to improve human rights in China.
Important events during his time included the Oslo Accords and the Dayton Agreement. He also helped normalize relations with Vietnam. He dealt with the Rwandan genocide and Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti.
Peace Efforts in the Middle East
In 1993, Israeli and Palestinian leaders met in Norway. They created the Oslo Accords. This agreement set up the Palestinian National Authority. It also meant Palestinians recognized Israel's right to exist. Secretary Christopher helped host the signing ceremony in Washington D.C. in September 1993.
Christopher also encouraged King Hussein of Jordan to make peace with Israel. The Israel–Jordan peace treaty was signed in October 1994. President Clinton and Secretary Christopher were there to witness it.
Expanding NATO and China Relations
To help expand NATO, Christopher promoted the Partnership for Peace program. This program helped countries get ready to join NATO.
During the 1992 election, Bill Clinton had criticized China's human rights record. Christopher believed the U.S. should use trade to push China for improvements. However, in May 1994, President Clinton decided to continue China's low-tariff trading privileges. This separated human rights from trade issues. After this, U.S.-China relations improved.
Ending the Bosnian War
In 1995, Secretary Christopher worked with Assistant Secretary Richard Holbrooke. They led peace talks in Dayton, Ohio. These talks involved leaders from Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The talks led to the Dayton Agreement in November 1995. This agreement finally ended the Bosnian War.
Normalizing Relations with Vietnam
Christopher worked with Senator John McCain to normalize United States–Vietnam relations. The U.S. had not had an embassy in Vietnam since 1975. Many Vietnam veterans and groups supporting POWs were against this. They wanted more cooperation in finding missing U.S. soldiers. After Christopher convinced President Clinton that Vietnam was cooperating, relations were formally normalized in July 1995.
Later Years and Legacy
After leaving his role as Secretary of State, Christopher remained active. He helped supervise the Florida recount for Al Gore's campaign. This was during the very close 2000 presidential election.
He was also a senior partner at a law firm. From 2003 until his death, he taught a course on international affairs at UCLA.
Christopher received many awards for his public service. His picture is displayed in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This honors his visit after relations between the two countries were normalized.
Family Life
Warren Christopher was married twice. His first marriage was to Joan Southgate Workman in 1949. They had one daughter, Lynn. They divorced in 1955.
In 1956, he married Marie Wyllis. They remained married until his death. Together, they had two sons, Scott and Thomas, and a daughter, Kristen. Christopher had five grandchildren.
He wrote two books: In the Stream of History: Shaping Foreign Policy for a New Era (1998) and Chances of a Lifetime (2001).
Death
Warren Christopher passed away at his home in Los Angeles on March 18, 2011. He was 85 years old. He died from kidney and bladder cancer. He was survived by his wife and four children. He is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills.
President Barack Obama called Christopher a "resolute pursuer of peace." Hillary Clinton described him as a "diplomat's diplomat." President Jimmy Carter said Christopher was "the best public servant I ever knew."
Images for kids
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Warren Christopher's signature
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Insignia of an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, Christopher's rank during World War II
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Warren Christopher presenting a scholarship named for him in 2004
See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 4)
- Timeline of United States and China relations 1995–1997
- Recount
