Robert Gallucci Selected as MacArthur President

March 10, 2009 Press Releases

Robert Gallucci, Dean of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, will serve as the fourth President of the MacArthur Foundation, effective July 1, MacArthur Board Chairman Robert Denham announced today.

Gallucci spent more than two decades representing the United States and promoting peace and security in some of the most challenging situations around the world, before coming to Georgetown in 1996. Specifically, he served as Ambassador-at-Large and Special Envoy for the U.S. State Department, dealing with the threats posed by the proliferation of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. He was chief U.S. negotiator during the North Korean nuclear crisis of 1994. Gallucci served as Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs from 1992 to 1993, a position for which he received confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He also worked as Senior Coordinator for nonproliferation and nuclear safety initiatives in the former Soviet Union and as Deputy Executive Chairman of the UN Special Commission overseeing the disarmament of Iraq in 1991.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Master’s and Doctoral degrees at Brandeis University. He has taught at Swarthmore College, Johns Hopkins University, the National War College, and Georgetown University. He is the author of numerous publications on political-military issues, including Neither Peace Nor Honor: The Politics of American Military Policy in Vietnam and Going Critical: The First North Korean Nuclear Crisis (with Joel Wit and Daniel Poneman).

“Bob Gallucci shares MacArthur’s commitment to building a more just and peaceful world,” said Denham, an attorney with the law firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, in Los Angeles. “He has more than two decades of experience representing the United States around the world on the most difficult issues of peace and security, which have been central to MacArthur’s work for its 31-year history. And he has a keen interest in all areas of the Foundation’s grantmaking. The Board was impressed by his broad international experience, his intellect, and his sound judgment.”

“I am thrilled to join the MacArthur Foundation and to work closely with its impressive Board, dedicated staff, and innovative, effective grantees to address some of the most critical and fascinating challenges facing our nation and our world,” Gallucci said. “I share the Foundation’s commitment to peace and justice and deeply admire its reputation for creativity, quality, and integrity.”

Some of Gallucci’s many accomplishments include –

  • As Deputy Executive Chairman of the UN Commission on the Disarmament of Iraq after the first Gulf War, he led inspection missions to Iraq, including one that involved a hostage situation during a five-day stand-off in a parking lot in Bagdad. The result of his efforts was the successful discovery and presentation of documents proving an Iraqi nuclear weapons program.
  • For four years, he served as Deputy Director General of the Multi-National Force and Observers, the Sinai peacekeeping force ensuring successful implementation of the Camp David peace accords between Egypt and Israel.
  • He negotiated arrangements for the establishment of the International Science and Technology Center in Moscow to engage former Russian weapons-of-mass-destruction scientists in non-weapons research.
  • He helped negotiate and then, as Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State, lead implementation of the Dayton Accords to end the war in the former Yugoslavia.

“I welcome Bob Gallucci as the next President of the MacArthur Foundation,” said current MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton. “He has a broad interest in both our domestic and international programs, and he is committed to the Foundation’s core values. I know MacArthur’s staff and grantees will benefit from his experience and leadership.”

Fanton is nearing the end of his second five-year term and announced last year that he would leave in 2009. The Foundation has term limits for its President, Trustees, and Program Officers. “The MacArthur Foundation is much stronger today because of Jonathan Fanton’s extraordinary leadership over the last 10 years,” Denham said. “Bob Gallucci will be able to build on a very strong base of staff and programs.”

Gallucci, 63, is married to Jennifer Sims, Director of Intelligence Studies and a Visiting Professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown. They have a daughter and a son. A more comprehensive biography and video of Gallucci are available by request or at www.macfound.org.