Object Details
Biography
Alexander Meigs Haig Jr. (1924–2010) was born and raised in Philadelphia. He studied at the University of Notre Dame and, graduating from the U.S. Military Academy, began a long career in the military, serving in Korea and Vietnam and working in the Department of Defense. Haig was chief of staff for Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford and then became supreme allied commander in Europe. In 1981 President Ronald Reagan selected him to be secretary of state.
As secretary, Haig faced continuing Cold War challenges, including the Soviet presence in Afghanistan and disputes with China over trade and Taiwan. In the Middle East a new round of conflict among Israel, Lebanon, and Syria made peaceful settlements seem impossible. Haig was able to stabilize relations with China and to strengthen NATO, but his efforts to broker diplomatic resolutions to the disputes between Argentina and Great Britain over the Falkland Islands did not succeed. Unable to fully control the administration’s diplomatic process, Haig resigned.
Haig continued to be active in Republican Party politics and briefed subsequent secretaries of state.