robert strange mcnamara

English - English

Definition of robert strange mcnamara in English English dictionary

born June 9, 1916, San Francisco, Calif., U.S. U.S. secretary of defense (1961-68). He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley (1937), earned a graduate degree at the Harvard Business School (1939), and later joined the Harvard faculty. He developed logistical and statistical systems for the military during World War II. After the war, he was one of the "Whiz Kids" hired to revitalize the Ford Motor Company, and in 1960 he became the first president of the company who was not a member of the Ford family. In 1961 he was appointed secretary of defense by John F. Kennedy. Though initially a supporter of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, by 1967 he advocated peace negotiations; his opposition to the bombing of North Vietnam caused him to lose influence with Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson. He resigned in 1968 to become president of the World Bank (1968-81)

Related Terms

Robert McNamara

{i} (born 1916) veteran of World War II, U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War (1961-1968), president of the World Bank (1968-1981)

Hyphenation

Rob·ert strange Mc·Na·ma·ra

Turkish pronunciation

räbırt streync mäknımerı

Pronunciation

/ˈräbərt ˈstrānʤ ˈmaknəˌmerə/ /ˈrɑːbɜrt ˈstreɪnʤ ˈmæknəˌmɛrə/