John Julian Hamre[1][2][3] (born July 3, 1950) is an American international relations scholar and former senior defense official. He is the president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a position he has held with since 2000.[4]

John Hamre
Secretary of Defense, John Hamre
26th United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
In office
July 29, 1997 – March 31, 2000
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byJohn P. White
Succeeded byRudy de Leon
Comptroller of the Department of Defense
In office
September 5, 1994 – July 29, 1997
PresidentBill Clinton
Preceded byJohn P. White
Succeeded byRudy de Leon
Personal details
Born (1950-07-03) July 3, 1950 (age 74)
Watertown, South Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Julia Pfanstiehl
(m. 1976)
EducationAugustana College, South Dakota (BA)
Harvard University
Johns Hopkins University (MA, PhD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and education

edit

Hamre is the son of Melvin Sanders and Ruth Lucile (Larson) Hamre. He attended primary and secondary school in Clark, South Dakota,[5] graduating from the Clark Public High School in May 1968.[1][2] He earned a B.A. (with high distinction) in political science and economics from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1972).[5] The following year he was a Rockefeller Fellow at Harvard Divinity School. He earned an M.A. (1976) and Ph.D. (1978) with distinction from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).[5][6][7][8][9] His doctoral thesis was entitled Congressional Dissent and American Foreign Policy: Constitutional War-Making in the Vietnam Years.[3]

Federal government service

edit
 
John Hamre (right) with Ash Carter (center) and Sam Nunn

Hamre served in the Congressional Budget Office (1978–1984), where he became its deputy assistant director for national security and international affairs. In that position, he oversaw analysis and other support for committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In the 1980s, he worked for ten years at the Senate Armed Services Committee.[8] During that time, he was primarily responsible for the oversight and evaluation of procurement, research and development programs, defense budget issues, and relations with the Senate Appropriations Committee.[6]

Hamre was DoD Comptroller (1993–1997) and Deputy Secretary of Defense (1997–1999), both under President Bill Clinton.[8][6]

The Senate appointed Hamre to the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry in 2001.[10]

Post-Federal Government Service

edit

Hamre worked on the Obama transition team. He is chairman of the Defense Policy Board.[7][10] Hamre's continued involvement in the defense establishment has put him on the short list for the position of Secretary of Defense multiple times, including during the formation of the first term of the Obama administration and most recently after the president's re-election in 2012.[11]

In July 2022, Hamre helped found a group of U.S. business and policy leaders who shared the goal of constructively engaging with China in order to improve U.S.-China relations.[12]

Honors

edit

In 2008, the Norwegian King Harald V appointed Hamre Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for his efforts "to promote collaboration between Norwegian and American politicians, authorities and researchers".[13]

Publications (partial list)

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 103d Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate". Vol. 103, no. 414. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1994. pp. 1280–1282. ISBN 978-0160436116.
  2. ^ a b "Nominations Before the Senate Armed Services Committee, First Session, 105th Congress: Hearings Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate". Vol. 105, no. 371. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 1998. pp. 406–408. ISBN 978-0160562556.
  3. ^ a b "Doctors of Philosophy in The School of Advanced International Studies". Conferring of Degrees at the Close of the 102nd Academic Year (PDF). Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University. May 26, 1978. p. 73. Retrieved 2022-03-01.
  4. ^ "III. Deputy Secretaries of Defense" (PDF). 2011-05-16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2020-10-06.
  5. ^ a b c John J. Hamre (2009). Marquis Who's Who.
  6. ^ a b c "John J. Hamre Center for Strategic and International Studies". Center for Strategic and International Studies. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  7. ^ a b Baker, Peter (November 18, 2008). "The New Team - John J. Hamre". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  8. ^ "Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale". Fee, via Fairfax County Public Library. 2009. Document Number: K2013019745
  9. ^ a b "President Obama Appointee Profile - John Hamre" (PDF). Military Families United. January 23, 2009. pp. 3–7. Retrieved 2009-11-10. [dead link]
  10. ^ "Who will be the next secretary of defense? | Foreign Policy". Thecable.foreignpolicy.com. 2010-07-30. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  11. ^ "We Want to Rebuild U.S. Relations With China - WSJ". 2022-07-07. Archived from the original on 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  12. ^ "John Hamre Appointed Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway). 18 January 2008. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
edit
Political offices
Preceded by Comptroller of the Department of Defense
1994–1997
Succeeded by
United States Deputy Secretary of Defense
1997–2000