Cyrus Vance

**Cyrus Roberts Vance** (March 27, 1917 – January 12, 2002) was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat.

## Early life

Vance was born on March 27, 1917 in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Vance studied at Kent School, Yale University, and at Yale Law School.

## Career

Vance was United States Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1980. Before that, he was the Secretary of the Army and the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

As Secretary of State, Vance approached foreign policy with an emphasis on negotiation over conflict. He was very interested in arms reduction. In April 1980, Vance resigned in protest of Operation Eagle Claw, the secret mission to rescue American hostages in Iran. Edmund Muskie replaced him.

## Personal life

Vance married Grace Elsie Sloane in 1947. They had four daughters and a son. Vance lived in New York City during his final years. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1995.

## Death

Vance died at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City on January 12, 2002 of pneumonia. His death was a complication from Alzheimer's disease. He was buried at the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

## Other websites

- Oral History Interviews with Cyrus Vance , from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
- Cyrus R. Vance and Grace Sloane Vance Papers, 1957-1992, held at Yale University Library, Manuscripts & Archives
- Interview on French TV: Cartes sur table, 31 March 1980 (40 minutes)

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Cyrus Vance
- **image**: CyrusVanceSoS.jpg
- **office**: 57th United States Secretary of State
- **president**: Jimmy Carter
- **deputy**: Warren Christopher
- **term start**: January 20, 1977
- **term end**: April 28, 1980
- **predecessor**: Henry Kissinger
- **successor**: Edmund Muskie
- **office1**: 11th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
- **president1**: Lyndon B. Johnson
- **term start1**: January 28, 1964
- **term end1**: June 30, 1967
- **predecessor1**: Roswell Gilpatric
- **successor1**: Paul Nitze
- **office2**: 7th United States Secretary of the Army
- **president2**: John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
- **term start2**: July 5, 1962
- **term end2**: January 21, 1964
- **predecessor2**: Elvis Jacob Stahr Jr.
- **successor2**: Stephen Ailes
- **office3**: General Counsel of the Department of Defense
- **president3**: John F. Kennedy
- **term start3**: January 29, 1961
- **term end3**: June 30, 1962
- **predecessor3**: Vincent Burke
- **successor3**: John McNaughton
- **birth name**: Cyrus Roberts Vance
- **birth place**: Clarksburg, West Virginia, U.S.
- **death place**: New York City, New York (state), New York, U.S.
- **restingplace**: Arlington National Cemetery
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democratic
- **children**: 5, including Cyrus Vance Jr., Cyrus Jr.
- **relatives**: John W. Davis (Adoptive father)
- **education**: Yale University (Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Laws, LLB)
- **signature**: Cyrus Vance Signature.svg
- **rank**:  Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant
- **serviceyears**: 1942–1946
- **unit**: USS Hale (DD-642), USS _Hale_ (DD-642)
- **battles**: World War II