William J. Perry

William J. Perry — U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1994-1997

William J. Perry was secretary of defense of the United States from February 1994 to January 1997, deputy secretary of defense from 1993 to 1994 and under secretary of defense for research and engineering from 1977 to 1981. He is known internationally in the arms control community for his many contributions to international security.

Perry earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics at Stanford, where he is the Michael and Barbara Berberian Professor (emeritus) in the Department of Management Science and Engineering, a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute, director of the Preventive Defense Project, and a former co-director of the Center for International Security and Cooperation.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1997 and was named Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1998.