Cabinet Post | Incumbent |
---|---|
Secretary of State | Dean Rusk, 1961 |
Secretary of the Treasury | C. Douglas Dillon, 1961 |
Secretary of Defense | Robert S. McNamara, 1961 |
Attorney General | Robert F. Kennedy, 1961 |
Postmaster General | J. Edward Day, 1961: John A. Gronouski, 1963 |
Secretary of the Interior | Stewart L. Udall, 1961 |
Secretary of Agriculture | Orville L. Freeman, 1961 |
Secretary of Commerce | Luther H. Hodges, 1961 |
Secretary of Labor | Arthur J. Goldberg, 1961: W. Willard Wirtz, 1962 |
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare | Abraham A. Ribicoff, 1961: Anthony J. Celebrezze, 1962 |
McNamara was the star—the animateur—of one of the best documentaries ever about the challenges and drama of public policy (not just the conduct of war): Errol Morris’ The Fog of War. His performance in this film—the objective and serious way he seemed to analyze his own policy choices and motives, and the humanity that, it appears, grew from taking responsibility for those choices as well as from his own inclinations— makes this a remarkable public record.
Incidentally, check-out the terrific Flash animation at the Fog of War site for an account of McNamara’s own life in his own words. Superbly done!
McNamara’s life and contributions are summarized in a nicely composed Financial Times obituary published today.