Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; born April 5 , 1937 ) is an American statesman and a retired four - star general in the United States Army . He was the 65th United States Secretary of State , serving under U . S . President George W . Bush from 2001 to 2005 , the first African American to serve in that position . During his military career , Powell also served as National Security Advisor ( 1987 – 1989 ) , as Commander of the U . S . Army Forces Command ( 1989 ) and as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( 1989 – 1993 ) , holding the latter position during the Persian Gulf War . He was the first , and so far the only , African American to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff , and was the first of two consecutive African American office - holders to hold the key Administration position of U . S . Secretary of State . Early life and education . Powell was born on April 5 , 1937 , in Harlem , a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan , to Jamaican immigrant parents Maud Arial ( née McKoy ) and Luther Theophilus Powell . He also has Scottish ancestry . Powell was raised in the South Bronx and attended Morris High School , a former public school in the Bronx , from which he graduated in 1954 . While at school , he worked at a local baby furniture store where he picked up Yiddish from the shopkeepers and some of the customers . He received his BS degree in geology from the City College of New York in 1958 and was a self - admitted C average student . He was later able to earn a Master degree from the George Washington University in 1971 , after his second tour in Vietnam . Despite his parents ' pronunciation of his name as , Powell has pronounced his name since childhood , after the heroic World War II flyer Colin P . Kelly Jr . Public officials and radio and television reporters have used Powell ' s preferred pronunciation . Military career . Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years , holding a variety of command and staff positions and rising to the rank of General . Training . Powell described joining the Reserve Officers ' Training Corps ( ROTC ) during college as one of the happiest experiences of his life ; discovering something he loved and could do well , he felt he had " found himself . " According to Powell : “ It was only once I was in college , about six months into college when I found something that I liked , and that was ROTC , Reserve Officer Training Corps in the military . And I not only liked it , but I was pretty good at it . That ' s what you really have to look for in life , something that you like , and something that you think you ' re pretty good at . And if you can put those two things together , then you ' re on the right track , and just drive on . ” Cadet Powell joined the Pershing Rifles , the ROTC fraternal organization and drill team begun by General John Pershing . Even after he had become a general , Powell kept on his desk a pen set he had won for a drill team competition . Upon graduation , he received a commission as an Army second lieutenant . After attending basic training at Fort Benning , Powell was assigned to the 48th Infantry , in West Germany , as a platoon leader . Vietnam War . In his autobiography , Powell said he is haunted by the nightmare of the Vietnam War and felt that the leadership was very ineffective . Captain Powell served a tour in Vietnam as a South Vietnamese Army ( ARVN ) advisor from 1962 to 1963 . While on patrol in a Viet Cong - held area , he was wounded by stepping on a punji stake . The large infection made it difficult for him to walk , and caused his foot to swell for a short time , shortening his first tour . He returned to Vietnam as a major in 1968 , serving in the Americal Division ( 23rd Infantry Division ) , then as assistant chief of staff of operations for the Americal Division . During the second tour in Vietnam he was decorated for bravery after he survived a helicopter crash , single - handedly rescuing three others , including division commander Major General Charles Martin Gettys , from the burning wreckage . He was charged with investigating a detailed letter by Tom Glen ( a soldier from the 11th Light Infantry Brigade ) , which backed up rumored allegations of the My Lai Massacre . Powell wrote : " In direct refutation of this portrayal is the fact that relations between American soldiers and the Vietnamese people are excellent . " Later , Powell ' s assessment would be described as whitewash ing the news of the massacre , and questions would continue to remain undisclosed to the public . In May 2004 Powell said to television and radio host Larry King , " I mean , I was in a unit that was responsible for My Lai . I got there after My Lai happened . So , in war , these sorts of horrible things happen every now and again , but they are still to be deplored . " After the Vietnam War . Powell served a White House fellowship , a highly selective and prestigious position , under President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1973 . In his autobiography , " My American Journey " , Powell named several officers he served under who inspired and mentored him . As a lieutenant colonel serving in South Korea , Powell was very close to General Henry " Gunfighter " Emerson . Powell said he regarded Emerson as one of the most caring officers he ever met . Emerson insisted his troops train at night to fight a possible North Korean attack , and made them repeatedly watch the television film " Brian ' s Song " to promote racial harmony . Powell always professed that what set Emerson apart , was his great love of his soldiers and concern for their welfare . After a race riot occurred , where African American soldiers almost killed a Caucasian officer , Powell was charged by Emerson to crackdown on black militants ; Powell ' s efforts led to the discharge of one soldier , and other efforts to reduce racial tensions . A " political general " . In the early 1980s , Powell served at Fort Carson , Colorado . After he left Fort Carson , Powell became senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger , whom he assisted during the 1983 invasion of Grenada and the 1986 airstrike on Libya . In 1986 , Powell took over the command of V Corps in Frankfurt , Germany , from Robert Lewis " Sam " Wetzel . Following the Iran Contra scandal , Powell became , at the age of 49 , Ronald Reagan ' s National Security Advisor , serving from 1987 to 1989 while retaining his Army commission as a lieutenant general . In April 1989 , after his tenure with the National Security Council , Powell was promoted to four - star general under President George H . W . Bush and briefly served as the Commander in Chief , Forces Command ( FORSCOM ) , headquartered at Fort McPherson , Georgia , overseeing all Army , Army Reserve , and National Guard units in the Continental U . S . , Alaska , Hawaii , and Puerto Rico . He became only the third general since World War II , joining Dwight D . Eisenhower and Alexander Haig , to reach four - star rank without ever serving as a division commander . Later that year , President George H . W . Bush selected him as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff . Powell ' s last military assignment , from October 1 , 1989 , to September 30 , 1993 , was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the highest military position in the Department of Defense . At age 52 , he became the youngest officer , and first Afro - Caribbean American , to serve in this position . Powell was also the first JCS Chair who received his commission through ROTC . During this time , he oversaw 28 crises , including the invasion of Panama in 1989 to remove General Manuel Noriega from power and Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War . During these events , Powell earned his nickname , " the reluctant warrior . " He rarely advocated military intervention as the first solution to an international crisis , and instead usually prescribed diplomacy and containment . As a military strategist , Powell advocated an approach to military conflicts that maximizes the potential for success and minimizes casualties . A component of this approach is the use of overwhelming force , which he applied to Operation Desert Storm in 1991 . His approach has been dubbed the " Powell Doctrine " . Powell continued as chairman of the JCS into the but as a dedicated " realist " he considered himself a bad fit for an administration largely made up of liberal internationalists . He clashed with then - U . S . ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Albright over the Bosnian crisis , as he opposed any military interventions that didn ' t involve US interests . During his chairmanship of the JCS , there was discussion of awarding Powell a fifth star , granting him the rank of General of the Army . But even in the wake of public and Congressional pressure to do so , Clinton - Gore presidential transition team staffers decided against it . 13 Rules of Leadership . First printed in the August 13 , 1989 issue of " Parade " magazine , these are Colin Powell ' s 13 Rules of Leadership . Potential presidential candidate . Powell ' s experience in military matters made him a very popular figure with both American political parties . Many Democrats admired his moderate stance on military matters , while many Republicans saw him as a great asset associated with the successes of past Republican administrations . Put forth as a potential Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in the 1992 U . S . presidential election or even potentially replacing Vice President Dan Quayle as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee , Powell eventually declared himself a Republican and began to campaign for Republican candidates in 1995 . He was touted as a possible opponent of Bill Clinton in the 1996 U . S . presidential election , possibly capitalizing on a split conservative vote in Iowa and even leading New Hampshire polls for the GOP nomination , but Powell declined , citing a lack of passion for politics . Powell defeated Clinton 50 - 38 in a hypothetical match - up proposed to voters in the exit poll s conducted on Election Day . Despite not standing in the race , Powell won the Republican New Hampshire Vice - Presidential primary on write - in votes . In 1997 Powell founded America ' s Promise with the objective of helping children from all socioeconomic sectors . That same year saw the establishment of The Colin L . Powell Center for Leadership and Service . The mission of the Center is to " prepare new generations of publicly engaged leaders from populations previously underrepresented in public service and policy circles , to build a strong culture of civic engagement at City College , and to mobilize campus resources to meet pressing community needs and serve the public good . " In the 2000 U . S . presidential election Powell campaigned for Senator John McCain and later Texas Governor George W . Bush after the latter secured the Republican nomination . Bush eventually won , and Powell was appointed Secretary of State . Secretary of State . As Secretary of State in the Bush administration , Powell was perceived as moderate . Powell was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate . Over the course of his tenure he traveled less than any other U . S . Secretary of State in 30 years . On September 11 , 2001 , Powell was in Lima , Peru , meeting with President Alejandro Toledo and US Ambassador John Hamilton , and attending the special session of the OAS General Assembly that subsequently adopted the Inter - American Democratic Charter . After the September 11 attacks , Powell ' s job became of critical importance in managing America ' s relationships with foreign countries in order to secure a stable coalition in the War on Terrorism . Powell came under fire for his role in building the case for the 2003 Invasion of Iraq . In a press statement on February 24 , 2001 , he had said that sanctions against Iraq had prevented the development of any weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein . As was the case in the days leading up to the Persian Gulf War , Powell was initially opposed to a forcible overthrow of Saddam , preferring to continue a policy of containment . However , Powell eventually agreed to go along with the Bush administration ' s determination to remove Saddam . He had often clashed with others in the administration , who were reportedly planning an Iraq invasion even before the September 11 attacks , an insight supported by testimony by former terrorism czar Richard Clarke in front of the 9 / 11 Commission . The main concession Powell wanted before he would offer his full support for the Iraq War was the involvement of the international community in the invasion , as opposed to a unilateral approach . He was also successful in persuading Bush to take the case of Iraq to the United Nations , and in moderating other initiatives . Powell was placed at the forefront of this diplomatic campaign . Powell ' s chief role was to garner international support for a multi - national coalition to mount the invasion . To this end , Powell addressed a plenary session of the United Nations Security Council on February 5 , 2003 , to argue in favor of military action . Citing numerous anonymous Iraqi defectors , Powell asserted that " there can be no doubt that Saddam Hussein has biological weapons and the capability to rapidly produce more , many more . " Powell also stated that there was " no doubt in my mind " that Saddam was working to obtain key components to produce nuclear weapons . Most observers praised Powell ' s oratorical skills . However , Britain ' s " Channel 4 News " reported soon afterwards that a UK intelligence dossier that Powell had referred to as a " fine paper " during his presentation had been based on old material and plagiarized an essay by American graduate student Ibrahim al - Marashi . A 2004 report by the Iraq Survey Group concluded that the evidence that Powell offered to support the allegation that the Iraqi government possessed weapons of mass destruction ( WMDs ) was inaccurate . In an interview with Charlie Rose , Powell contended that prior to his UN presentation , he had merely four days to review the data concerning WMD in Iraq . A Senate report on intelligence failures would later detail the intense debate that went on behind the scenes on what to include in Powell ' s speech . State Department analysts had found dozens of factual problems in drafts of the speech . Some of the claims were taken out , but others were left in , such as claims based on the yellowcake forgery . The administration came under fire for having acted on faulty intelligence , particularly what was single - sourced to the informant known as Curveball . Powell later recounted how Vice President Dick Cheney had joked with him before he gave the speech , telling him , " You ' ve got high poll ratings ; you can afford to lose a few points . " Powell ' s longtime aide - de - camp and Chief of Staff from 1989 – 2003 , Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson , later characterized Cheney ' s view of Powell ' s mission as to " go up there and sell it , and we ' ll have moved forward a peg or two . Fall on your damn sword and kill yourself , and I ' ll be happy , too . " In September 2005 , Powell was asked about the speech during an interview with Barbara Walters and responded that it was a " blot " on his record . He went on to say , " It will always be a part of my record . It was painful . It ' s painful now . " Wilkerson said that he inadvertently participated in a hoax on the American people in preparing Powell ' s erroneous testimony before the United Nations Security Council . Because Powell was seen as more moderate than most figures in the administration , he was spared many of the attacks that have been leveled at more controversial advocates of the invasion , such as Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz . At times , infighting among the Powell - led State Department , the Rumsfeld - led Defense Department , and Cheney ' s office had the effect of polarizing the administration on crucial issues , such as what actions to take regarding Iran and North Korea . After Saddam Hussein had been deposed , Powell ' s new role was to once again establish a working international coalition , this time to assist in the rebuilding of post - war Iraq . On September 13 , 2004 , Powell testified before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee , acknowledging that the sources who provided much of the information in his February 2003 UN presentation were " wrong " and that it was " unlikely " that any stockpiles of WMDs would be found . Claiming that he was unaware that some intelligence officials questioned the information prior to his presentation , Powell pushed for reform in the intelligence community , including the creation of a national intelligence director who would assure that " what one person knew , everyone else knew . " Additionally , Powell has been critical of other instances of U . S . foreign policy in the past , such as its support for the 1973 Chilean coup d ' état . From two separate interviews in 2003 , Powell stated in one about the 1973 event " I can ' t justify or explain the actions and decisions that were made at that time . It was a different time . There was a great deal of concern about communism in this part of the world . Communism was a threat to the democracies in this part of the world . It was a threat to the United States . " In another interview , however , he also simply stated " With respect to your earlier comment about Chile in the 1970s and what happened with Mr . Allende , it is not a part of American history that we ' re proud of . " Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State on November 15 , 2004 . According to " The Washington Post " , he had been asked to resign by the president ' s chief of staff , Andrew Card . Powell announced that he would stay on until the end of Bush ' s first term or until his replacement ' s confirmation by Congress . The following day , Bush nominated National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice as Powell ' s successor . News of Powell ' s leaving the Administration spurred mixed reactions from politicians around the world — some upset at the loss of a statesman seen as a moderating factor within the Bush administration , but others hoping for Powell ' s successor to wield more influence within the cabinet . In mid - November , Powell stated that he had seen new evidence suggesting that Iran was adapting missiles for a nuclear delivery system . The accusation came at the same time as the settlement of an agreement between Iran , the IAEA , and the European Union . On December 31 , 2004 , Powell rang in the New Year by pressing a button in Times Square with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to initiate the ball drop and 60 second countdown , ushering in the year 2005 . He appeared on the networks that were broadcasting New Year ' s Eve specials and talked about this honor , as well as being a native of New York City . Life after diplomatic service . After retiring from the role of Secretary of State , Powell returned to private life . In April 2005 , he was privately telephoned by Republican senators Lincoln Chafee and Chuck Hagel , at which time Powell expressed reservations and mixed reviews about the nomination of John R . Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations , but refrained from advising the senators to oppose Bolton ( Powell had clashed with Bolton during Bush ' s first term ) . The decision was viewed as potentially dealing significant damage to Bolton ' s chances of confirmation . Bolton was put into the position via a recess appointment because of the strong opposition in the Senate . On April 28 , 2005 , an opinion piece in " The Guardian " by Sidney Blumenthal ( a former top aide to President Bill Clinton ) claimed that Powell was in fact " conducting a campaign " against Bolton because of the acrimonious battles they had had while working together , which among other things had resulted in Powell cutting Bolton out of talks with Iran and Libya after complaints about Bolton ' s involvement from the British . Blumenthal added that " The foreign relations committee has discovered that Bolton made a highly unusual request and gained access to 10 intercepts by the National Security Agency . Staff members on the committee believe that Bolton was probably spying on Powell , his senior advisors and other officials reporting to him on diplomatic initiatives that Bolton opposed . " In July 2005 , Powell joined Kleiner , Perkins , Caufield & Byers , a well - known Silicon Valley venture capital firm , with the title of " strategic limited partner . " In September 2005 , Powell criticized the response to Hurricane Katrina . Powell said that thousands of people were not properly protected , but because they were poor rather than because they were black . On January 5 , 2006 , he participated in a meeting at the White House of former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss United States foreign policy with Bush administration officials . In September 2006 , Powell sided with more moderate Senate Republicans in supporting more rights for detainees and opposing President Bush ' s terrorism bill . He backed Senators John Warner , John McCain and Lindsey Graham in their statement that U . S . military and intelligence personnel in future wars will suffer for abuses committed in 2006 by the U . S . in the name of fighting terrorism . Powell stated that " The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of [ America ' s ] fight against terrorism . " Also in 2006 , Powell began appearing as a speaker at a series of motivational events called " Get Motivated " , along with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani . In his speeches for the tour , he openly criticized the Bush Administration on a number of issues . Powell has been the recipient of mild criticism for his role with " Get Motivated " which has been called a " get - rich - quick - without - much - effort , feel - good schemology . " Most recently he joined the Board of Directors of Steve Case ' s new company Revolution Health . Powell also serves on the Council on Foreign Relations Board of directors . Powell , in honor of Martin Luther King Day , dropped the ceremonial first puck at a New York Islanders hockey game at Nassau Coliseum on January 21 , 2008 . On November 11 , 2008 , Powell again dropped the puck in recognition of Military Appreciation Day and Veterans Day . Recently , Powell has encouraged young people to continue to use new technologies to their advantage in the future . In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies to a room of young professionals , he said , " That ' s your generation . . . a generation that is hard - wired digital , a generation that understands the power of the information revolution and how it is transforming the world . A generation that you represent , and you ' re coming together to share ; to debate ; to decide ; to connect with each other . " At this event , he encouraged the next generation to involve themselves politically on the upcoming Next America Project , which uses online debate to provide policy recommendations for the upcoming administration . In 2008 , Powell served as a spokesperson for National Mentoring Month , a campaign held each January to recruit volunteer mentors for at - risk youth . Soon after Barack Obama ' s 2008 election , Powell began being mentioned as a possible cabinet member . He was not nominated . In September 2009 , Powell advised President Obama against surging US forces in Afghanistan . The president announced the surge the following December . Political views . A moderate Republican , Powell is well known for his willingness to support liberal or centrist causes . He is pro - choice regarding abortion , and in favor of " reasonable " gun control . He stated in his autobiography that he supports affirmative action that levels the playing field , without giving a leg up to undeserving persons because of racial issues . Powell was also instrumental in the 1993 implementation of the military ' s don ' t ask , don ' t tell policy , though he later supported its repeal as proposed by Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen in January 2010 , saying " circumstances had changed " . The Vietnam War had a profound effect on Powell ' s views of the proper use of military force . These views are described in detail in the autobiography " My American Journey " . The Powell Doctrine , as the views became known , was a central component of US policy in the Gulf War ( the first U . S . war in Iraq ) and U . S . invasion of Afghanistan ( the overthrow of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks ) . The hallmark of both operations was strong international cooperation , and the use of overwhelming military force . Powell was the subject of controversy in 2004 when , in a conversation with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw , he reportedly referred to neoconservatives within the Bush administration as " fucking crazies . " In addition to being reported in the press ( though generally , the expletive was censored in the U . S . press ) , the quote was used by James Naughtie in his book , " The Accidental American : Tony Blair and the Presidency " , and by Chris Patten in his book , " Cousins and Strangers : America , Britain , and Europe in a New Century " . In a September 2006 letter to Sen . John McCain , General Powell expressed opposition to President Bush ' s push for military tribunals of those formerly and currently classified as enemy combatants . Specifically , he objected to the effort in Congress to " redefine Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention . " He also asserted : " The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism . " Views on the Iraq War . While Powell was wary of a military solution , he supported the decision to invade Iraq after the Bush administration concluded that diplomatic efforts had failed . After his departure from the State Department , Powell repeatedly emphasized his continued support for American involvement in the Iraq War . At the 2007 Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado , Powell revealed that he had spent two and a half hours explaining to President Bush " the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers . " During this discussion , he insisted that the U . S . appeal to the United Nations first , but if diplomacy failed , he would support the invasion : " I also had to say to him that you are the President , you will have to make the ultimate judgment , and if the judgment is this isn ' t working and we don ' t think it is going to solve the problem , then if military action is undertaken I ' m with you , I support you . " In a 2008 interview on CNN , Powell reiterated his support for the 2003 decision to invade Iraq in the context of his endorsement of Barack Obama , stating : " My role has been very , very straightforward . I wanted to avoid a war . The president [ Bush ] agreed with me . We tried to do that . We couldn ' t get it through the U . N . and when the president made the decision , I supported that decision . And I ' ve never blinked from that . I ' ve never said I didn ' t support a decision to go to war . " Powell ' s position on the Iraq War troop surge of 2007 has been less clear . In December 2006 , he expressed skepticism that the strategy would work and whether the U . S . military had enough troops to carry it out successfully . He stated : " I am not persuaded that another surge of troops into Baghdad for the purposes of suppressing this communitarian violence , this civil war , will work . " Following his endorsement of Barack Obama in October 2008 , however , Powell praised General David Petraeus and U . S . troops , as well as the Iraqi government , concluding that " it ' s starting to turn around . " By mid - 2009 , he had concluded a surge of U . S . forces in Iraq should have come sooner , perhaps in late 2003 . Throughout this period , Powell consistently argued that Iraqi political progress was essential , not just military force . Role in presidential election of 2008 . Powell donated the maximum allowable amount to John McCain ' s campaign in the summer of 2007 and in early 2008 , his name was listed as a possible running mate for Republican nominee McCain ' s bid during the 2008 U . S . presidential election . However , on October 19 , 2008 , Powell announced his endorsement of Barack Obama during a " Meet the Press " interview , citing " his ability to inspire , because of the inclusive nature of his campaign , because he is reaching out all across America , because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities , " in addition to his " style and substance . " He additionally referred to Obama as a " transformational figure " . Powell further questioned McCain ' s judgment in appointing Sarah Palin as the vice presidential candidate , stating that despite the fact that she is admired , " now that we have had a chance to watch her for some seven weeks , I don ' t believe she ' s ready to be president of the United States , which is the job of the vice president . " He said that Obama ' s choice for vice - president , Joe Biden , was ready to be president . He also added that he was " troubled " by the " false intimations that Obama was Muslim . " Powell stated that " [ Obama ] is a Christian — he ' s always been a Christian . . . But the really right answer is , what if he is ? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country ? The answer ' s no , that ' s not America . " Powell then referenced Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan , a Muslim American soldier in the U . S . Army who served and died in the Iraq War . He later stated , " Over the last seven weeks , the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower [ . . . ] I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign , and they trouble me . " Powell concluded his Sunday morning talk show comments , " It isn ' t easy for me to disappoint Sen . McCain in the way that I have this morning , and I regret that [ . . . ] I think we need a transformational figure . I think we need a president who is a generational change and that ' s why I ' m supporting Barack Obama , not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen . John McCain . " Later in a December 12 , 2008 , CNN interview with Fareed Zakaria , Powell reiterated his belief that during the last few months of the campaign , Palin pushed the Republican party further to the right and had a polarizing impact on it . Views on the Obama administration . In a July 2009 CNN interview with John King , Powell expressed concern over President Obama growing the size of the federal government and the size of the federal budget deficit . In September 2010 , he criticized the Obama administration for not focusing " like a razor blade " on the economy and job creation . Powell reiterated that Obama was a " transformational figure . " In a video that aired on CNN . com in November 2011 , Colin Powell said in reference to Barack Obama , " . . . many of his decisions have been quite sound . The financial system was put back on a stable basis . " On October 25 , 2012 , 12 days before the presidential election , he gave his endorsement to President Obama for re - election during a broadcast of CBS This Morning . He cited success and forward progress in foreign and domestic policy arenas under the Obama Administration , and made the following statement : “ I voted for him in 2008 and I plan to stick with him in 2012 and I ' ll be voting for he ( sic ) and for Vice President Joe Biden next month . ” As additional reason for his endorsement , Powell cited the changing positions and perceived lack of thoughtfulness of Mitt Romney on foreign affairs , and a concern for the validity of Romney ' s economic plans . In an interview with ABC ’ s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos during ABC ’ s coverage of President Obama ' s second inauguration , Powell criticized members of the Republican Party who " . . . demonize the president ” . He called on GOP leaders to publicly denounce such talk . Views on LGBT issues . In late May 2012 he expressed support for the legalization of same - sex marriage . He had earlier supported the repeal of Don ' t Ask Don ' t Tell . Personal life . Powell married Alma Johnson on August 25 , 1962 . Their son , Michael Powell , was the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) from 2001 to 2005 . His daughters are Linda Powell , an actress , and Annemarie Powell . As a hobby , Powell restores old Volvo and Saab cars . In 2013 , he faced questions about a relationship with a Romanian diplomat , after a hacked AOL email account had been made public . He acknowledged a " very personal " email relationship but denied further involvement . Civilian awards and honors . Powell ' s civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom , the President ' s Citizens Medal , the Congressional Gold Medal , the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal , the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal , and the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award . Several schools and other institutions have been named in his honor and he holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country .