Presidential Cabinet Secretary. Born in San Francsico, California, he was appointed as Secretary of Defense by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and served until 1987, becoming the second-longest serving Secretary. A 1941 graduate of Harvard's law school, he served in three Republican administrations, becoming Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1970 and then moved to the Office of Management and Budget where he served as the Director through 1973; then became Secretary of Health Education and Welfare serving until 1975. Moved back to the private sector as Vice President and General Counsel at Bechtel Corporation from 1975 through 1980. A longtime friend and adviser to Reagan from his years as governor of California, Weinberger acted as Reagan's confidant during the 1980 presidential campaign and then served as President Reagan's Secretary of Defense from 1981 through 1987 and oversaw the rebuilding of the defense department and strongly promoted the Strategic Defense Initiative (also known as the Star Wars Program) which finally resulted in the end of the Cold War. Implicated in the Iran-Contra Affair, he was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush for his role. In 1989 he realized a life-long desire to be newspaperman when he joined Forbes to become the magazine's fourth publisher; then in 1993 was named chairman of Forbes Inc.

Presidential Cabinet Secretary. Born in San Francsico, California, he was appointed as Secretary of Defense by President Ronald Reagan in 1981 and served until 1987, becoming the second-longest serving Secretary. A 1941 graduate of Harvard's law school, he served in three Republican administrations, becoming Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1970 and then moved to the Office of Management and Budget where he served as the Director through 1973; then became Secretary of Health Education and Welfare serving until 1975. Moved back to the private sector as Vice President and General Counsel at Bechtel Corporation from 1975 through 1980. A longtime friend and adviser to Reagan from his years as governor of California, Weinberger acted as Reagan's confidant during the 1980 presidential campaign and then served as President Reagan's Secretary of Defense from 1981 through 1987 and oversaw the rebuilding of the defense department and strongly promoted the Strategic Defense Initiative (also known as the Star Wars Program) which finally resulted in the end of the Cold War. Implicated in the Iran-Contra Affair, he was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush for his role. In 1989 he realized a life-long desire to be newspaperman when he joined Forbes to become the magazine's fourth publisher; then in 1993 was named chairman of Forbes Inc.

Bio by: Fred Beisser