Lee Hamilton served for thirty-four years as a United States congressman from Indiana. He is the current co chair of the Iraq Study Group and former vice chair of the 9/11 Commission.
How Deep is America's Crisis?
A Conversation with Lee Hamilton
Lee Hamilton served for thirty-four years as a United States congressman from Indiana. He is the current co chair of the Iraq Study Group and former vice chair of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States and is a member of the advisory council for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
During his tenure as congressman, Hamilton served as chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (now the Committee on International Relations), and chaired the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East from the early 1970’s until 1993. Mr. Hamilton also served as Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran. Mr. Hamilton established himself as a leading congressional voice on foreign affairs, with particular interests in promoting democracy and market reform in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, expanding U.S. markets and trade overseas, and overhauling U.S. export and foreign aid policies. His service enabled him to become an astute observer and participant in many significant historical events, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Arab/Israeli peace negotiations, and the Gulf War.
Mr. Hamilton remains an important and active voice on matters of international relations and foreign affairs. He served as a commissioner on the influential United States Commission on National Security in the 21st Century (better known as the Hart-Rudman Commission), and was Co-Chair with former Senator Howard Baker of the Baker-Hamilton Commission to Investigate Certain Security Issues at Los Alamos.
Hamilton's distinguished service in government has been honored through numerous awards in public service and human rights. These include the Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1999, the Paul H. Nitze Award for Distinguished Authority on National Security Affairs in 1999, the American Political Science Association Hubert H. Humphrey Award in 1998, the American Bar Association CEELI Award in 1998, the Center for Civic Education Civitas Award in 1998, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, the Center for National Policy Edmund S. Muskie Distinguished Public Service Award in 1997, and the American Political Science Association Outstanding Legislator Award in 1997.
Mr. Hamilton graduated from DePauw in 1952 with a bachelor’s degree in history and went on to study for a year at Goethe University in Germany before earning a Juris Doctor from Indiana University law school. Mr. Hamilton has also received an honorary degree from DePauw, in addition to being inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Hamilton and his wife, the former Nancy Ann Nelson ’52, have three children (Tracy Lynn Souza, Deborah Hamilton Kremer, and Douglas Nelson Hamilton), and four grandchildren (Christina, Maria, McLouis, and Patricia Souza).
