Robert McNamara

Biography

Robert Strange McNamara was an American businessman and government official who served as the eighth United States Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968. As a key figure in the Kennedy administration, he played a major role in promoting U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and advocated for the use of military force against North Vietnam. McNamara also pioneered the application of systems analysis in public policy, laying the groundwork for modern policy analysis.