Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story (19 page)

The White House senior staff swearing-in ceremony on January 22, 2001. Condi is the first woman and the second black person to become a national security advisor.
Photo by Larry Downing/© Reuters 2001

National Security Advisor Rice in the Oval Office with President Bush, April 11, 2001. She is one of the president’s closest confidants as well as a long-time Bush family friend who previously served as one of Bush Senior’s top Soviet advisors.
Photo by Ho/© Reuters 2001

A pat on the cheek for Secretary of State Colin Powell in the Oval Office. As national security advisor, Condi’s job is to referee the often very differing views of the secretary of state, secretary of defense, and other members of the National Security Council and bring their opinions to the president.
Photo by Kevin Lamarque/© Reuters 2002

Shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on May 24, 2002. Condi speaks fluent Russian, and devoted her academic career to the study of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
Photo by Kevin Lamarque/© Reuters 2002

An impassioned moment with the Moscow press in July 2001, after meetings about arms control talks between the United States and Russia.
Photo by Sergei Karpukhin/ © Reuters 2001

Accepting the NAACP President’s Award at the Image Awards ceremony on February 23, 2002.
Photo by Jim Ruymen/© Reuters 2002

Fielding a question at a White House briefing on November 1, 2001. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, Condi came to the forefront as one of the White House’s lead spokespeople on the war on terrorism.
Photo by Kevin Lamarque/© Reuters 2001

Condi the collectible—the TOPPS “Enduring Freedom” trading card featuring National Security Advisor Rice.
Courtesy of TOPPS 2001

Accompanying cellist Yo-Yo Ma in a Brahms piece performed at the National Medal of Arts Ceremony in Washington on April 22, 2002. Condi, who started lessons at age three, is an accomplished pianist who trained for a professional career until her junior year in college, when she changed her major to international relations.
Photo by Larry Downing/ © Reuters 2002

The official White House portrait of National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.
White House photo by Tina Hager

Condoleezza Rice is sworn in to testify before the 9/11 Commission, April 8, 2004.
© Larry Downing/Reuters/Corbis