This event is one hour. [applause] it is my pleasure to welcome everyone here to the first of an exciting series of interviews conducted by smithsonian and philanthropist extraordinaire David Rubenstein. [applause] we are kicking off this series with a fascinating conversation with one of the most accomplished people on the world stage, secretary Madeleine Albright. [applause] what better place to begin van in this Great American . The smithsonian has always been uniquely american. Examining culture and history, exploring artistic expression and scientific innovation. Today, we are an institution of 19 museums, a national zoo, with collections totaling 156 million objects. Still, the story of america is so expensive that we continually work to include more chapters. That necessitates telling a more complex and more diverse story that better reflects who we are as a people. Just across the street, the new National Museum of African American history and culture is set to open. The personal stories of its objects can be uplifting, heartbreaking, joyous, defiant, but they share the ability to help us tell the american story to visitors from across the country and around the world. Our first secretary joseph henry understood the inherent responsibility we held to share that knowledge. He said, the importance is not to be estimated by what it accumulates within the walls of its buildings but by what it sends forth into the world. Today, we are trying to play an ever more Important Role in sparing dialogue nationally and internationally. The museum of the American Indian hosted a crosssection of thought leaders to discuss stereotypes and Cultural Appropriation in sports. This Wonderful Museum you were in tonight brought young people from across the country together to examine pivotal moments in history like the freedom rise and the African American museum held a symposium called, history rebellion and reconciliation in the wake of ferguson, to talk about issues of racial justice. The smithsonian is dedicated to telling the full story of america. Not shying away from parts for which we are not as proud, knowing full well that we are still striving to form a more perfect union. As british film director ken loach has said, maybe if we tell the truth about the past, we can tell the truth about the present. Throughout our nations history, people have shown the ability to rise above adversity and do things to change our perception of what is possible. The American HistoryMuseum Showcases numerous examples of that kind of greatness in all fields of endeavor. We all recently saw greatness in action again at the olympics in rio de janeiro. The athletes representing our nation showed what americans are capable of no matter their ethnicity, gender, religion it is a reminder that our country is stronger for our diversity. The u. S. Olympic team is a microcosm of america. There is great is all around us. All we have to do is identify it and cultivated, and let it flourish. Thank you for joining us tonight. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the elizabeth make ellen director of American History, john gray. [applause] thank you. Tonight, i am here to welcome you to your National Museum of American History. Thank you very much for joining us. We welcome and thanks secretary albright, the first woman to serve as secretary of state. The genius of america comes in many diverse forms gender, country of origin, and the amazing perspective of our naturalized citizens. We have gathered to celebrate a person of many firsts, and her most iconic objects are already part of the National Selection at this museum. Tonights first is that secretary albright is the first recipient of the National Museum of American Historys great recipient of the National Museum americans metal medal. [applause] thank you to our 13th secretary, dr. Davis gordon, the polymath who consist who insists that we convene the most important conversations that drive our nation and our world to bold new stages and insight. Thank you to our alumni board member David Rubenstein. We appreciate and celebrate your outstanding generosity, intellectual focus, and the understanding of how important it is for American History to be visible and utterly interesting to all. David, you are a voracious reader with an appetite for understanding and sharing why history matters, and beginning with your work at the white house, you have made American History, and we are privileged that you are now interviewer to illuminate a great history maker. We think our board member jeff garrett, who commissioned and donated this extraordinary goldmedal which we will be presenting tonight, inspired by the 1905 20 double eagle, designed by the same sculptor. This treasure is on the first floor of the National Museum. Your National Museum is dedicated to exploring the ideals and ideas of america to create the most engaging, interesting, and inclusive American History that helps people understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a more humane future, and to transform American History, we are in the midst of a 15 year, 600 million reinvent treat reinvention of every facet of our work. In june, we will open a new wing dedicated to the nation we built together, which addresses the most pressing issues of our time the elemental question of what it means to be an american. Our two keystone exhibitions american democracy. This demonstrates how we must all be active participants in our vibrant democracy, and how our many communities have negotiated with one another to form our nation. There is much more. We just heard the incredible jazz masterworks orchestra trio, and we are in a new hall of music, the home of our own are other acclaimed program, all exploring to explain what it means to be an american. Who is a Great American, and why . We will learn more to this conversation between David Rubenstein and secretary albright. From a young immigrant to americas top to desktop format top diplomat, Madeleine Albright has always broken boundaries. Madeleine albright we invite everyone to help us, and caution each that they cannot stop us. Born in what was then czechoslovakia on the eve of world war ii, her family fled their home twice as clinical refugees as political refugees. At the age of 11, madeleine arrived on the as is america to ellis island. Madeleine inherited an interest in World Affairs from her father, a further a former czech diplomat. She earned a degree in Political Science at wellesley college. Here, she made the most important decision of her life she decided to become a naturalized u. S. Citizen. She raised three dollars while studying her phd three daughters while studying for her phd. She stepped onto the world stage in 1993 as the u. S. Permanent representative to the united nations. Madeleine albright at this time of turmoil and help, this assignment is a major challenge. At the land, she learned how to win over allies. Madeleine albright there is a poem that came out of the newspapers that compared me to a serpent. I have a snake pendant, and i happen to work happened to wear it when i talked to eric. In 1997, madeleine made history when president bill clinton made her our first female secretary of state. She broke a critical glass history when president bill ceiling, and that time was the highest ranking woman in america. Madeleine albright the United States is truly the world indispensable nation. Tirelessly traveling the globe, she Madeleine Albright as the new millennium begins, this will be our greatest challenge not unlocking the secrets of science, but learning the fundamental lesson of our kinship with each other. Today, madeleine teaches the next generation of diplomats. She continues to support Democratic Institutions of actions abroad. Secretary albright donated items from her dental medical career to the smithsonian National Museum of American History. Madeleine albright two secretary christopher, i only hope that my heels can fill your shoes. A barrier breaking diplomat who championed American Values abroad, Madeleine K Albright is a Great American. Her story is a part of American History. [applause] please welcome the 64th United States secretary of state, Madeleine K Albright, and smithsonian regent, David Rubenstein. [applause] mr. Rubenstein so, you are known the world around as Madeleine Albright, but madeleine really wasnt your birth name. How did you get a nonczech name . Well Madeleine Albright well first, my name is marie jana korbelova. Apparently there was a play in prague at the time that i was a little girl, and it was called madeleine in the brick factory. She decided that the name madeleine was a good name. However, my mother never pronounced anything right, and i was madeleine. I had no idea how to spell it. It was not until i went to school in switzerland that they decided that my name was madeleine, spelled the french way. My madeleine my legal name is still marie jana. When i had my first passport issued, when i had to seminary my widows but madeleine and they would say this is not you, and i said but it is. It was not until i was secretary of state and i can actually order of a passport that said madeleine. [laughter] mr. Rubenstein when you became secretary of state, what do you feel more pride in the fact you are the first woman, or that you are a naturalized citizen . Have you compare that . Madeleine albright it is hard to separate. I did love being a first. The woman was obviously a big breakthrough, and i am proud of that. The fact that i could be secretary of state as a refugee, and a naturalized american, was a big deal. I have to tell you, the first person to call me to congratulate me was henry kissinger. He said madeleine, you have taken away my one unique characteristic of being an immigrant secretary of state. I said no henry, i dont have an accent. He did say welcome to the fraternity. And i said it wasnt bad either anymore. [laughter] mr. Rubenstein when you are starting out in the Foreign Policy world, did you ever think a woman would be secretary of state . Madeleine albright no. It never occurred to me. Frankly, i had no choice. My father, all we ever talked about at home was Foreign Policy in some form or another. I loved it, and i really sought saw it as a mans world. However, i had gone to a Girls High School and to wellesley. There was no question that women could actually do everything, but it had not occurred to me, and not because i lacked ambition, but i had never seen a woman secretary of state, so i did not think it could happen. Mr. Rubenstein isidore grant of your life that your father did not live to see u. S. Secretary of state . Very much so. In 1977, he died. Mr. Rubenstein when you became secretary of state, did other people like henry kissinger, did they give you advice about what you should do . Madeleine albright i sought advice. I very much enjoyed talking to my predecessors to really find out what the job was about. They each had Something Different to say, but they did say that it is one of the most amazing, best jobs in the world. I clearly agree with them. We continue to be a very close group of people that have had that honor and responsibility to sit behind a sign that says United States. Mr. Rubenstein you are succeeded by colin powell. Did you give him any advice about emails or anything else . [laughter] Madeleine Albright i gratefully Madeleine Albright i gratefully preceded technology. I did give him advice about an eye, are very good friends colin and i, by the way, are very good friends i basically told him that he couldnt drive his own car all the time, and that Diplomatic Security would not appreciate that. We talked about those kind of things. Mr. Rubenstein lets go back to your childhood. You were born in czechoslovakia, and your father is in the foreign service. Then there was some concerns about the nazis ultimately taking over czechoslovakia as they did, so how did your family managed to escape from czechoslovakia . Madeleine albright let me go back a little bit heard my father was a diplomat. He was in belgrade when i was four years old. My mother wanted me to be born in crock in prague. Then they went back to belgrade. I mother was the most wonderful, delightful person that that exactly what she had in her mind. What happened was after munich, when the czechoslovakian spiked cap the czechoslovakian spot, she, at a dinner party, said i would rather be married to a street cleaner than to a soldier whod does not fight. They were then withdrawn back to prague. My parents were in prague when the nazis came in in 1939. I only learned through something that my mother had written that my father was trying to get out, because he wanted to go in exile. They put me with my grandmother while they went and spent the night in different places all the time. Ultimately, my mother wrote that as a result of some bribery, my father did get a visa and got out. They got out via going to london, where my father joined the government in exile. Mr. Rubenstein so you are living in london and you are Madeleine Albright three years old. Mr. Rubenstein so you live through the bombing of london. What was that like . Madeleine albright we lived in an area for refugees. I remember this. We lived in a big apartment holding where we went into the seller cellar during air raids. My father broadcast for bbc. One of the things he did as part of his job was to do the Czechoslovak Service from the bbc. He would say, and i remember him say saying i dont know while he go down there to the seller, because there are cellar. I went back to the apartment, and actually asked a stupid he go down there to the seller, because there are cellar. I went back to the apartment, and actually asked a stupid question like is the basement still there. I went there, and all of a sudden i had the feeling that i recognize the same old green paint that had been there. After the blitz, we moved out, and my father was an air raid warden. They had these big steel cables that apparently could protect big steel tables called morrison tables that apparently could protect you during an air raid attack. We slept under the table, we ate under the table. I played on the table. I spent a lot of time in air raid shelters waiting for the all clear sign. Mr. Rubenstein so ultimately win the war is over, youre living in london during why did not your family decide to go back to czechoslovakia . Was it clear that the communists were going to take over and your father wasnt a communist . Madeleine albright my father was very young, frankly, and he was one of the assistants to the man who became the foreign minister. He went back on the first plane there. It never occurred to them that they would go back. My father went on the first airplane with benes back to prague. Then my mother and younger sister followed. It was not clear the communists were going to win. It was a Coalition Government at the time. What was interesting was that when he became the foreign minister, his deputy was a man who was a communist. They had done well in the elections in 1946. It really was a Coalition Government at the time. It operated that way until february of 1948. Mr. Rubenstein at that point, your decided that your father decided to take the family out of czechoslovakia and why did he go to the United States . Madeleine albright he was a professional diplomat, and so his years time is of diplomat was up in belgrade. My father did not want be going to school with communists, so i had a governess in yugoslavia. I had spent all my time in the end to see in the embassy. I got ahead of myself a little bit. In europe, you cant go to the next phase unless you are a certain age. My parents sent me to switzerland when i was nine and 10. They were in belgrade. What happened was his threeyear term was up, and it was time for a new assignment. His assignment was to be a member of the new commission to deal with india and pakistan over kashmir. He wanted to have the assignment, and then what happened was the communists took over. His best friend in belgrade was a british and american ambassador. They said your company just had a coup. If you report to our government, we can get something done. He made that decision. They pretended that my mother was going back to prague and taking me up in switzerland and my brother and sister by then while my father went to india. We went to the United States because he was working for the united nations. I had no tragic story about climbing through barbed wire. We came on the ss america on diplomatic passports. Mr. Rubenstein at some point, your father would lose his diplomatic passport. Madeleine albright he decided he did not want to work for the communist, and he defected and asked for political asylum. When i went into office, i was given the papers in which she had written begging for political asylum. He was given political asylum, and we then he was stateless and jobless, and the Rockefeller Foundation at that stage found jobs for Central European intellectuals are some. They found him a job at the university of denver. We had no idea where denver was. My parents bought a car and we started driving across america. My mothers death my mother said my mother said denver is the mile high city but were not going up, so maybe were going the wrong direction. We ended up in denver and my father started teaching at what was the university of denver a had a whole International Department called the social science foundation. He started teaching, he became a professor. He used to say theres Nothing Better than being a professor in a free country. Mr. Rubenstein you have a perfect american accent you had a perfect british accent and it became more of an american accent. Madeleine albright we arrive in long island in 1948. We gather together to ask gods blessing, and i heard somebody osking and from then on i asked. Mr. Rubenstein you into to a private school in denver, on allgirls school. Then he applied to a lot of colleges. You got in everywhere you applied. Why did you decide to go to wellesley . Madeleine albright we really were refugees. We lived in lots of different houses in denver. I love to give to his of the various different places we lived in. People were nice, they brought presents for us. What happened was there was a girl school in denver or my father insisted that i go, and i went on scholarship. There were only 16 girls in our graduating class, and what happened was i could not go to college unless i got a scholarship. I chose wellesley first of all, i had seen wellesley and it appeals to me tremendously. My english teacher and my latin teacher had gone to wellesley and they loved it. It was a choice between stanford and wellesley, and i am very glad that i chose wellesley, because my whole life would have been different. Mr. Rubenstein have you ever told to stand for people of a given you more Financial Aid you wouldve gone there . Madeleine albright one thing that made me think my life would have been a disaster stanford always is their responses earlier than the others. I got accepted and there was no scholarship. I ran out of the house screaming that my life was over. I father came to find me, and the people at the school said it is very unfortunate they didnt give you a scholarship, because it is kind of a sign about how the other schools will feel. What happened was i then got letters from all the others with scholarship, and wellesley and stanford said that i had gotten a scholarship from the colorado stanford club, in a just come from another letter. Mr. Rubenstein you did what all lot of ladies did, and you got married. Madeleine albright at wellesley, they had a system where if someone came to visit you, they would announce it through the corridors. They said, madeleine, there are some ladies that would like to take you to boston to show you what the American Girl wears. They said you are a foreign student here. I said, yes, thats true. And then i belonged it to something they called the Cosmopolitan Club and i found a third had been american students, but i was there as a foreign student. When i was ousted how i did a tn american students, but i was there on the sats they set amazing. I did not know whether it was they thought i was a foreign student. I wanted to be a journalist. My husband was a journalist. While he was in the army, i worked on a small newspaper, and he already had a job in chicago. I was having dinner with his managing editor and he said, so, what are you going to do, honey . He said, im going to work on a newspaper. And he said i dont think so. You cant work on the same newspaper is your husband. Even other three other papers in chicago to time, he said you wouldnt want to compete with your husband, so go find another life. The bottom line is, i know i would say today, but then [laughter] mr. Rubenstein did you ever once that person when your secretary of state . Madeleine albright i worked for four in cyclopedia britannica encyclopedia britannica. For some of the younger people here, its a book. Theyre doing geographic articles, so they figured my Foreign Policy background would allow me to choose the illustrations for geographical articles. That was the beginning of my career. Mr. Rubenstein ultimately migrated to washington with your husband and began getting involved with your childrens school, and getting involved a lot of volunteer activities. That involved to getting involved with some political fundraising. Madeleine albright what happened was i had been put in charge of fundraising at the school, and i did it with another person what who was a parent. He was from maine. He was asked to chair a dinner ed muskie in 1972, and he knew that i had done all the work. He asked me to cochair it with him. It was my First Experience of fundraising and also my First Experience at one of the more peculiar historical events. I get there, at the first phone the embassy of chad, saying that the sade had the Campaign Managers had to the dinnerarge and would we send the limousine . I put the people on hold. I said what about this . They said we didnt invite him, but if he wants to come, fine. We just dont have a limousine. Floralrals arrangements delivered cod and pizzas delivered cod income and liquor delivered cod come out i i kept sending everything back. We are a cocktail party. All of a sudden, there is a couple that comes in and i say you are from the embassy of chad . And the man says no. I am the ambassador of kenya. Within 10 minutes, we had two dozen african ambassadors invited. It was completed seated dinner. Then there was a couple who came in and said we are magicians, having been invited by a man to perform for the children. I said this is not a childrens party. They said that they were invited. I said, im sorry. Its not. And the man said, didnt i tell you i was a magician . I said, yes. He said if you dont let me in, ill turn you into something terrible. So, we let them in. During the watergate hearings, they admitted to all of this being part of the dirty tricks. The only thing the guy said, he sent elephants that was my First Political experience. Rubenstein ed muskie mustve liked what you did. Madeleine albright this was after the 76 campaign. I had done some stuff for him and made, and an in maine and i became his legislative assistant. Mr. Rubenstein then jimmy carter gets elected president. Your former professor at columbia where you had gotten a phd gets the job as National Security advisor, and you are hoping he might offer you a job . What happened . Madeleine albright what happened was he called me over the holidays and said perhaps you have heard ive been named National Security advisor. I said, yes, i have heard that. Would you find a place to live . I said i was hoping you would offer me a job. And he said, no, im asking you to find me a place to live. At so i did. He asked me in 1978 to come to the white house and work during doing congressional relations, which is where i met you. Mr. Rubenstein there was no such job before, in charge of congressional relations. So what did you really do . Madeleine albright thats what i did. I it was interesting, because first of all i love the job, and i had a choice which you will understand between having a fancy office or literally a closet in the west wing. I chose the closet, which was right outside the situation room. I became very good friends with the white house legislative people, and they could see the value of having somebody that understood Foreign Policy be a part of giving away the panama canal and various things that we did. I did sit in pretty much on every meeting that president carter had with members of congress. My First Experience was one of the first things i had to be done was a middle east arms sale package. We were sitting in the cabinet room and everyone was there. I am taking notes, and i knew that the members of congress were asking questions, and i knew that i would have to have something to do with answering questions. I went back to my office, and i had a timeline. A tieline. Bring a notes. How to present carter get from this point to the point. My thought you guys were there. I looked down at my notes and it was just questions at some center had asked, and i go back to my office and i thought all right, im going to get fired my first week. I decided then that the best defense is a good offense, so i marched up to him and said excuse me, i didnt think i had been hired as a secretary. They said, you are not. The rule is that the lowest level person takes the notes. You clearly were the lowest level person in that office. I learned pretty quickly. Mr. Rubenstein eventually your former boss becomes secretary of state, and your former boss and your present boston not get along. How did you do that . Madeleine albright one of the things that have happened was a columnist for the New York Times wrote it interviewed him, and had asked how he was going to get along with brzezinski . You actually said it would be fine because my former legislative assistant is up there. Putting a little pressure. I met quite a lot with him to talk about what the job is like. What literally happened, he called me up and said madeleine, i have had it with your boss. Every time we are in the oval office and talking about something, he gives us the name of every tribe in nigeria. I said he is a professor, that is what they do. Burzynski calls me and says your former boss only asks questions. I said, he was a senator. That is what senators do. Ultimately, it came to be muskie calledause me. I cant stand it. Than i he is more polish am. I said, he is. He has two polish parents. He speaks polish and you dont. And i thought im never going to get through a second term. Mr. Rubenstein ultimately carter loses the election in 1980. A lot of the carter people have to get new jobs. What did you decide to do . Madeleine albright i decided finally to put my phd to work, and got a job at Georgetown University teaching in the school of foreign service. It was interesting, because georgetown had been a singlesex school. They had become coed, and wants to have women professors. I was hired to be a role model, which is not a simple activity. I have never taught. I began to teach, and i taught some graduate students, and then undergrads, and i really liked it. I was a fulltime professor. Mr. Rubenstein in 1984, mondale is picked for democratic family get the nomination and he picks as his Vice President ial nominee geraldine ferrero. What was your involvement with that campaign . Albright where the stories of my life is one thing really does lead to another. Just to go back on something, what happened was, mondale did run for president was before, and what happened, because i did so much fundraising for ed muskie, i had gotten a call saying that he was running for president and would i be his fundraiser . And i was trying to make up my mind whether i would do it or not when he pulled out, so i never had to make up my mind. When i was sitting in burzynskis office and was interviewing me for the job, mondale walked in and burzynski set up are thinking of hiring madeleine for that. He said, you cant do better, and one thing led to another. Mondale, we had been good friends when he was Vice President. When he was running for president , i was one of his foreignpolicy advisers. What happened, i had met Geraldine Ferraro when she had been elected to congress, because i did do congressional relations. Then she was chairman of the Platform Committee and i was the mondale representative to that. Then, when the convention was in san francisco, what happened was mondale, jim johnson at people asked me to become her foreignpolicy advisor. So i traveled with her through the whole campaign. Mr. Rubenstein that campaign, not because of your advice, did not work out. Four years later, you are the principal for imports the principal foreignpolicy adviser to michael dukakis. What was that like . Madeleine albright the truth is it was interesting to be with her. Her crowds were huge. And people were fascinated by a woman candidate in national office. She did break the glass ceiling. Mr. Rubenstein but neither of you thought you were going to win . Madeleine albright we thought we were going to win. Im serious. We thought we were going to win. Mr. Rubenstein ok. [laughter] thought carter i was going to get reelected, so who knows . Madeleine albright so in 1988, what did happen and when i talked to my students and young people generally is you never know with the construct of people and how they get to know each other and how they Work Together a lot of the ferraro people were dukakis people. They had seen me, i had been on the plane and did work hard. I got introduced to michael dukakis, and he could not have been nicer. I had also been asked to do some stuff to advance the Platform Committee hearings in denver. I had kind of gotten to see dukakis. He asked me to be his foreignpolicy adviser. This is not a secret to people in this audience foreignpolicy advisers and washington usually say im advising everybody. When it became clear that i was going with michael dukakis, people would say why would you do that . I did, he was the nominee. I came back to washington after convention. I have a cartel party. The National Journal says a woman walks into the cocktail party, she is immediately surrounded by men. Is it Brooke Shields . No, it is Madeleine Albright. Life has a lot of ups and downs. After we lost, some washington lawyer comes up to me and says you certainly messed that up. I kind of lost that Brooke Shields appeal. Mr. Rubenstein unit became president of the National Center for policy. When bill clinton was running, you were not really as prominent. Were not really is involved in that campaign because you are running a senator. But ultimately, you headed up the transition for the National Security council for bill clinton. Then did you expect to get a job in the administration . Madeleine albright what happened is i had met him originally during debate prep with michael dukakis, because you got to georgetown and we had got to know each other. I was asked to do the transition for the nsc. I had been in the lighthouse does the white house until the last minute with president carter. In the white house until the last minute with president carter. And that was the first clinton person to go back to the white house. They had fixed it up a bit. It was very strange, and the photographs were all different. I did work on the transition was rick and sandy berger kind of an overall person on it. I had hoped to get a job. I did wish that i would get a job, but it was unclear to me whether i would get one or not. Then sandy called me and said that the president was going to offer me the ambassadorship to the u. N. I knew that one of my very good friends wanted it. The first was on my word would take gardner would kill me and set of thank you very much. Instead of thank you very much. I was waiting for it to happen officially, but nothing was happening. I went to the white house to work on a sunday, and i kept calling my message missing, and finally there was a message from the man in charge of the whole transition is saying get your self vetted. I went to get my tax papers. Then he said come down to little rock, and dont tell anyone your you are coming, which was a little difficult. Mr. Rubenstein so youre offered the job, you took the job. Was it as exciting as you thought it was going to be . Madeleine albright it was great. And it was on a fantastic time, because people thought the u. N. Was on a new trajectory in terms of postcold war, the soviet union wasnt, and basically there were not to be does all the time not vetoes all the time. Mr. Rubenstein after four years, president clinton is reelected. Was there a lot of jockeying for secretary of state . Madeleine albright this is what really did happen. What happened was by the way, what was interesting, Warren Christopher was one of the most generous people in the world. I was a member of the principal s committee while i was u. N. Ambassador. It was the first time as a permanent member of it. He would say to me you are instructed ambassador, but on the rules committee you have to , have your own voice. He did not want the job for his second term, and i had been on tv a lot. My name was out there. What happened was somebody said yeah, well it is not going to happen, because arab leaders will not deal with a woman. What happened was the arab ambassadors at the u. N. Got together and said we had no problem dealing with ambassador albright. We would not have a problem with secretary albright. That went away. I dont remember who, but somebody said madeleine was on the list, but she is secondtier. Finally, i honestly didnt think i was back in new york, and i get a phone call around december 4 saying if the president of the United States were to call you tomorrow, would you take the call . Added here to ask your secretary of state, would you say yes . And i said yes to both. They said go home and wait for the president s call. I was just nervous, and i had asked my chief of staff to spend the night. Then i forgot i was dealing with president clinton, who did not get up early in the morning. I was even afraid to get in a bath. I kept saying to elaine he has changed his mind. Finally around 9 30, the phone rings, and they say the white house is calling, the present up dusty president of the United States, hold for the present. Then they put on some awful music, and i was sure he changed his mind. On and he says, will you be my secretary of state . And i obviously said yes. And then the question was what was i going to wear, which is where the red dress comes in. Mr. Rubenstein it turns out your parents had never told you they had been born jewish. Why did you think that was a potential problem . Madeleine albright when i became ambassador to the u. N. , i started getting letters from people that were indecipherable checks or bad handwriting, and it usually set i am a relative, i want money and a visa. It never had the names of the villages or the dates right. Every once in a while, there be something that said you are from a jewish family. Serbs didnt exactly like me, and they said i was just a jewish bitch, and i decided to ignore that. While i was being vetted, i got a letter from someone who had all the names of the families and dates and all that. They asked me the normal letter best the normal questions about taxes and nannies and various things. Then they said we always is ask this question of everybody. Is there anything we should ask . U that we didnt and i said it is perfectly possible i have a jewish background. They said, so what . The president is not antisomatic. My daughters were endlessly fascinated, because they thought my parents were wonderful and interesting in the stories were so crazy anyway. Then what happened was that a reporter for the Washington Post wanted to do a profile of me. Youre not allowed to talk to the press between the time youre nominated and the time you are confirmed. Two days after i was confirmed, he came to my office and started handing me these disgusting kept aboutthe nazis people they sent to concentration camps. And he said, did you know this person . There is no way to describe how i felt. I said this to you, david. Been asked tohad represent our country in a marathon, the first woman, and given not only heavy package to carry, but to unwrap at the same time. I asked my brother and sister to go to the Czech Republic to begin to figure it out. They are the ones began to put the story together. It has taken a very long time. Last summer, i went to prague with my daughters and six grandchildren to dedicated plaque to the 26 members of my family who died in the holocaust. Mr. Rubenstein including three of your grandparents. Metal outright yes, yes. Madeleine albright yes, yes. Mr. Rubenstein when you are confirmed for the senate, was it a very close vote . Madeleine albright 990. [applause] the missing person was jay rockefeller, because he was traveling. Mr. Rubenstein so what is the greatest pleasure of being secretary of state, and what are you most proud of achieving as secretary of state . Madeleine albright i have believed in the goodness of americans and america, and what america can do. The story of my life is that when the u. S. Is not around, which it was not at unix on the because the british and french made an agreement with the germans and italians over the head of czechoslovakia, terrible things happen. I remember the americans coming to london, and everything changed. As a result of agreements made during world war ii, czechoslovakia was liberated by the soviet union. That changed everything. The thread in my life has always been that if the u. S. Is doing something good and useful, we can make a difference. I felt that way at the united nations. All of a sudden, to be able to have something to do with making a difference for other people as American Power was what was so stunningly important to me. People ask me what i am proudest of, it is kosovo. Waspartially because i upset about how slowly we were to do some the bonds about bosnia. That was my argument with colin powell. When kosovo was going on and ethnic cleansing i thought that , i am secretary of state. I can do something. It is a case study of getting the u. S. Government to go along with it. The state department can make a lot of statements, but we have no airplanes. It took that kind of interagency thing, and then persuading nato to do some. The knights of the airplane just the night that the airplane starts, president clinton calls asked if we are doing the right thing, and i said we were. The serbs had put out some decoy. A couple days later, i come into my office, asked what is the matter with you . And they said we just bombed the Chinese Embassy by mistake. At that time, they called it madeleines war. Not as a complement. When we won, it was called something else. But when i go back to kosovo now, there a whole generation of little girls whose names are madeleine. That is what i am proudest of. Mr. Rubenstein when you are secretary of state, the president revealed why he picked you. Why did he say he picked you . Madeleine albright what happened was and it goes back to the time we used to travel together, hillary and the president and i we were in central america, and what happened was i would introduce her, she would introduce him. And he said the following thing. When people were trying to make up their mind, hillary would come to him and say why dont you name madeleine . She is most into with your most into with your views, expresses them better than anybody else, and besides it would make your mother happy. So that is how it happened. Mr. Rubenstein when you are secretary of state, you became famous for wearing a pin. Why was that . Madeleine albright what happened was that i was instructed ambassador. The gulf war had been translated into a series of sanctions resolutions, and my job was to make sure the sanction stayed on. I said perfectly terrible things about Saddam Hussein constantly. He deserved it, he had invaded kuwait. A poll appeared in the papers in baghdad compared me to many things. Among them, an unparalleled serpent. And i had a snake pin, so i wore that anytime we talked about a iraq. The press picks it up. Why are you wearing it . I thought that since with fun i thought this was fun. I bought a lot of Costume Jewelry to depict whatever we were going to do on a given day. I the day i wore flowers and butterflies and blooms. On a bad day, a lot of insects and carnivorous animals. The first president bush had said read my lips, no new taxes. I said read my pin. That is how it started. It got to be so funny. Youll remember this. The russians were bugging the state department when i was secretary, and we found the guy sitting outside. We did what diplomats do, which was complain. The next time i met with the Russian Foreign minister, i wore a very large bug, and he knew exactly when i was signaling. Mr. Rubenstein if anyone else wants to know more about madeleines life, she has three excellent books. There is an and will become a very frank. The second book about prague winter, and a book about pins, which tells you how she picked them and a lot about them. Thank you for your service to the country. I would like to say that you have received a lot of rewards, a fitting the president ial medal a lot of awards including the president ial medal of freedom. We would like to give you one additional one tonight. Thank you for your service. Madeleine albright can i thank you very much for giving me this honor . People asked me what is the most important thing to happen to me becoming an american, hands down. I truly am a grateful american, and the opportunity to sit behind a sign that says United States and be able to represent this country has been the greatest possible honor. I do think this is an exceptional country in so many ways. Thank you very very much. [applause] and to be your friend, david, also. You,ubenstein thank madeleine. One more round of applause, please. [applause] mount when albright thank you. [applause] thank you so much david, and secretary. The views here are a rich representation of the nations character, unlike any other collection. The starspangled banner, abraham lincolns top hat, warned that fateful night at fords theater, the greensboro north greensboro, North Carolina woolworths lunch counter, where for College Students college College Students declared their right to be served like anyone else. One artifact that i think is particularly emblematic of the ideal to which we aspire is the portable desk on which Thomas Jefferson penned the declaration of independence. The words of jefferson created on that mahogany desk exemplified the idealism of a new democratic nation forged by the principles of the enlightenment. Madam secretary, throughout your career you have undoubtedly , burned the midnight oil at many a desk working for while looking out for americas test interest. Today, for being a great friend to the Smithsonian Institution and a great representative of american diplomacy, it is my great pleasure as secretary to present you with this replica of Thomas Jeffersons desk. May inspire you to continue to write history. [applause] Madeleine Albright thank you so much. Wow. Thank you. And now is my privilege on behalf of smithsonians National Museum of American History to present the Great Americans medal to Madeleine Albright. For her skill and diplomacy in making the world a safer place, for her groundbreaking leadership and embodiment of fundamental american id heals ideals. Through these values and achievements, she exemplifies american citizenship, and service of the highest level. Congratulations, madeleine. [applause] Madeleine Albright wow. Terrific. Thank you. [applause] Madeleine Albright when you become secretary of state, youve got Thomas Jeffersons job. [laughter] Madeleine Albright thank you. Thank you. I would just like to say one final word. Thank you very much, madeleine for everything you have done for , being here this evening, giving us a very informative Tour De Force of what you have done for the country and your life. We are going to serve dessert outside, so please stay for that. Finally, i would like to thank the people who put this together. John, thank you for everything you did. David, thank you as well, and everyone at the smithsonian who made this possible. All of you are friends of the smithsonian. We have a great deal of pleasure in putting together this program tonight. As all of you know, we are in the middle of an effort to enhance the smithsonian. You are the people who have been very helpful in making the smithsonian even better than it has been very i encourage you to think of what you can do to make the smithsonian a place you are all proud of, and make it a place that your children want to attend, and learn more about American History. John gray and others can tell you more about what we are doing here at the museum of American History. Thank you very much for coming, and what you have done before for the smithsonian, and what you might do in the future. Thank you all, and dessert is served outside. [applause] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] this weekend on American History tv on cspan3 this evening, the battle of spotsylvania courthouse which pitted the armies of grant against lee. In the wilderness, they fought for a couple days, come to a stalemate, grant moved left and south. They were here in spotsylvania for couple days. They fought to a stalemate, and then the federalist were moving left. What you think that puts in wiis mind . Mind . Lees and then in lectures in history, Duke University professor gunther pack