George P. Shultz

George P. Shultz (1920–2021) was an American economist, diplomat, and statesman who served in several senior U.S. government positions, including Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989. He was known for his influential role in Cold War diplomacy, arms-control negotiations, and U.S. foreign policy. Shultz is one of only two Americans to have held four different federal cabinet posts — Labor, Treasury, State, and the Office of Management and Budget — across two presidential administrations. Between his years in government, he served as president of the global engineering firm Bechtel Corporation while teaching at Stanford University. In January 1989, President Reagan awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.