Born in Alabama, she graduated from Denver University, aged 19, in 1974. In 1981 she received her doctorate and immediately became a fellow of Stanford University. She served on the first President Bush’s National Security Council (1989–91) and then returned to Stanford, where she was the first Black woman provost (1993–99). After advising George W. Bush on foreign affairs during his campaign for the presidency, she was appointed his National Security Advisor (2001–05) and then his Secretary of State (2005–09).