Henry Alfred Kissinger born in Furth, Germany in 1923 is the first Secretary of State to be an immigrant and Jewish.  In 1938,  his family was one of the few to escape the Nazi control of Europe and move to Manhattan's Washington Heights,  that consisted of a three room apartment and a passion for baseball.  As a young teenager he worked at a shaving brush factory earning $10.89 a week,  while in night high school.  " I would give $8.00 to my parents; and i was able to keep $2.89.  The idea to become Secretary of State was out of the question"(1). He became a naturalized citizen in 1943, while studying at  City College,  New York.  Having been a soldier in World War II,  and later positioned in Germany,  Henry was able to to gain experience in international diplomacy.
    Upon his return,  he obtained his PH.D.  from Harvard in 1954 and became an instructor of government in 1962; while working on the Defense Studies Program from 1959 to 1969. He was able to get his foot in the door by writing Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy in 1957,  which put him in the position of a leading authority on United States Strategic policy.  While Dulles was secretary of State,  Kissinger disagreed greatly with his views of "massive "retalitaion" that it lead to the production of his 2nd book Necessity for Choice. President Nikon  appointed Henry assistant for National Security Affairs in December 1968,  and with in the year as head of the National Security Council until 1975,  and Secretary of State from 1973 -1977.  While working with Nixon, he was able to accomplish major diplomatic advancements in China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, and the Middle East. In 1969,  he developed SALT to warm up relations with the Soviets.  The People's Republic of China formed Rapprochement between the U.S. in 1972 through Kissinger's ability to make contact with China since the communists came to power. Working with Vietnam to help disarm the troops and end with a cease afire agreement,  he was honored with the 1973 Noble Peace Prize.  After working between the Arab Israeli Conflicts and leaving office in 1973,  he focused on becoming an international consultant, and lecturer.  In 1983, Reagan appointed him to head a national commission on Central America and joined Georgetown University facilty (2).
 
 

(3)
          *click picture for close up*
Kissinger with Vietnam leader Le Duc Tho,  the other recipient to
the Nobel Peace Prize,  but he did not accept the honor, in Paris, 1973.
 
 
 
 

1. Orange County Register, page News 2
2. www.nobel.com
3.Kissinger, Diplomacy, page 674