After Dinner Speakers: Henry Kissinger, Sebastian Coe, Phil Cornwall

Born in Germany in 1923, Kissinger has not only lived through some of the most important events of this century, he has played a major role in shaping many of them. His family emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1938, just in time to escape the Holocaust. He became an American citizen in 1943 and served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946. He graduated Suma cum Laude from Harvard in 1950, and earned a Master of Arts degree in 1952 and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1954, both from Harvard. Kissinger soon established a name for himself as a major force in foreign affairs. He published his first book, Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy in 1957. His expertise in international relations and strategic policy led to service as advisor to government agencies in the administrations of Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson. President Nixon appointed Kissinger as Assistant for National Security Affairs in 1969, and he was sworn in as the 56th Secretary of State in 1973. For negotiating peace in Vietnam, Kissinger received the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. Today he is still very active as a writer, political commentator and speaker.