Biography
Clark M. Clifford was an American lawyer and political adviser who served as Special Counsel to President Harry S. Truman from 1946 to 1950. He later held the position of Secretary of Defense under President Lyndon B. Johnson from 1968 to 1969 and advised several other Democratic presidents, including John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter.
Born Clark McAdams Clifford on 25 December 1906 in Fort Scott, Kansas, he practised law in St Louis before entering government service during the Second World War. After the war he became a trusted White House adviser, contributing to policy on foreign affairs, national security and Truman’s 1948 election campaign. Clifford appeared as himself in the 1974 documentary Hearts and Minds, discussing his role as aide to President Truman between 1946 and 1950. He died on 10 October 1998 in Bethesda, Maryland.
