INTRODUCTION OF THE HONORABLE RICHARD N. HAASS JUNE 14, 2004

TENTH ALEPH SOCIETY DINNER ALEPH SOCIETY, INC.

THE ESSEX HOUSE NEW YORK CITY JUNE 14, 2004

WHEN RICHARD N. HAASS SUCCEEDED LES GELB AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS ON JULY 1, 2003, WE HELD THE OPINION THAT GELB’S LEADERSHIP WAS UNSURPASSABLE. OVER THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS WE HAVE COME TO KNOW THAT RICHARD HAASS IS ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY LEADER, A VISIONARY THINKER AND AN INSPIRING MOTIVATOR. HE HAS FOCUSED ON MAKING THE COUNCIL AN EVEN FINER ORGANIZATION AND REINFORCED A NATIONAL OUTREACH TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF FOREIGN POLICY LEADERS.

AMBASSADOR HAASS BROUGHT A LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE TO OUR EFFORTS AT THE COUNCIL, COMING TO HIS CURRENT POSITION FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WHERE HE WAS A PRINCIPAL ADVISOR TO . DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WHERE HE WAS A PRINCIPAL ADVISOR TO SECRETARY COLIN POWELL AND DIRECTED POLICY PLANNING FOR AFGHANISTAN. CONFIRMED BY THE U.S. SENATE TO HOLD THE RANK OF AMBASSADOR, RICHARD HAASS WAS THE LEADING U.S. GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL IN SUPPORT OF NORTHERN IRELAND’S PEACE PROCESS.

FOR HIS ROLE IN NORTHERN IRELAND, HE RECEIVED THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE DISTINGUISHED HONOR AWARD. RICHARD HAASS IS ALSO A FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF FOREIGN POLICY STUDIES AT THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION. AMBASSADOR HAASS ENTERED GOVERNMENT SERVICE IN 1979 AS A LEGISLATIVE AIDE IN THE U.S. SENATE AND HELD APPOINTMENTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. IN A VARIETY OF POSTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, HE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR KEEN THEORETICAL APPLICATION AND ANALYSIS.

HE SERVED PRESIDENT GEORGE H. W. BUSH AS A SPECIAL ASSISTANT AND RICHARD HAASS WAS SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR NEAR EAST AND SOUTH ASIAN AFFAIRS ON THE STAFF OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL. IN 1991, PRESIDENT BUSH AWARDED HIM THE CITIZEN’S MEDAL FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO ARTICULATING AND DEVELOPING U.S. POLICY DURING OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM. MOST RECENTLY, RICHARD HAASS RECEIVED THE HANS J. MORGENTHAU AWARD FOR HIS ROLE IN ADVANCING U.S. INTERESTS AND FOREIGN POLICY.

IN SPITE OF A RIGOROUS PUBLIC SCHEDULE, HE HAS WRITTEN OR EDITED NINE BOOKS ON AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY AND ONE ON MANAGEMENT, THE BUREAUCRATIC ENTREPRENEUR: HOW TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ANY UNRULY ORGANIZATION. ACADEMIC POSITIONS RICHARD HAASS HAS HELD INCLUDE: • SENIOR ASSOCIATE AT THE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE,
• LECTURER IN PUBLIC POLICY AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY’S KENNEDY SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT, AND
• RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AT THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES.

A NATIVE OF BROOKLYN AND FORMER RHODES SCHOLAR, RICHARD HAASS HAS WON THE RESPECT OF WORLD LEADERS THROUGH HIS ACHIEVEMENTS. WE ARE PROUD TO KNOW HIM. AT THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, WE ADMIRE HIS RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, HIS STERLING RECORD IN INCREASING AMERICA’S UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AND HIS VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: THE HONORABLE RICHARD N. HAASS.