Wichita, Kansas, United States Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is a retired American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd Secretary of Defense of the United States from 2006 to 2011. He was appointed by President George W. Bush and was reappointed by President Barack Obama. Before becoming defense secretary, he had been the director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2005 to 2006, having previously held several other senior positions at the agency. Gates joined the CIA in 1973 and spent most of his career working on Soviet military affairs. From 1990 to 1993, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Russia; during that time, he helped negotiate the nuclear weapons treaty with Russia known as the New START Treaty. In 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Gates to be his deputy secretary of defense, but after the September 11 attacks, Bush instead named Gates head of his policy office at the White House. In this role, he managed day-to-day operations of the office and acted as its chief spokesperson. In November 2004, Bush again nominated Gates to be his defense secretary but once more the appointment never became official due to congressional delays on Capitol Hill. In February 2005, President Bush finally withdrew his nomination of Gates and instead nominated him as director of the CIA. After Senate confirmation, Gates took office on March 17, 2005. His tenure at the agency was marked by the Iraq War and the subsequent reorganization of the organization.