Kerry, John Forbes (1943-…), served as secretary of state of the United States in the administration of President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. He had earlier served as a U.S. senator from Massachusetts since 1985. Kerry also had been the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004. He lost to his Republican opponent, President George W. Bush. From 2021 to 2024, Kerry served as special envoy for climate in the administration of President Joe Biden.
Kerry was born in Denver, Colorado, on Dec. 11, 1943. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 1966. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in that same year and served until 1970. During that time, he spent about five months in combat in the Vietnam War (1957-1975). He was wounded in battle and received three Purple Heart citations and Silver Star and Bronze Star medals. After completing his tour of duty in the Navy, Kerry helped found Vietnam Veterans of America, and he became a leader and spokesperson for the antiwar group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
In 1970, Kerry married Julia S. Thorne, a writer. The couple had two daughters, Alexandra and Vanessa.
In 1972, Kerry campaigned for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts but was not elected. He enrolled at Boston College and graduated in 1976 with master’s and law degrees. From 1977 to 1979, Kerry served as first assistant district attorney for Middlesex County, Massachusetts. He then maintained a private law practice until 1982. That year, he was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, serving under Governor Michael S. Dukakis.
In 1984, Kerry won election to the U.S. Senate. He took office in 1985. He was reelected in 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008. As a senator, Kerry worked to support small businesses, protect the environment, expand the availability of affordable health care, and reform campaign-finance practices. He also focused on national security and veterans issues. In the late 1980’s, he headed a Senate investigation that uncovered major wrongdoing by the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), a worldwide banking firm, and helped bring about the bank’s closure.
In the early 1990’s, Kerry chaired a special Senate committee investigating the fate of American soldiers declared missing in action during the Vietnam War. Some people believed that many soldiers were still being held captive in prison camps in Southeast Asia, but the committee found no evidence that such camps existed. Kerry and Republican Senator John McCain were then successful in bringing about the lifting of U.S. trade sanctions against Vietnam and the renewal of diplomatic relations.
In 1988, John and Julia Kerry divorced. In 1995, Kerry married Teresa Heinz, a philanthropist and the widow of Republican Senator H. John Heinz III of Pennsylvania. She and Heinz had three sons: H. John IV, Andre, and Christopher.
In 2003, Kerry declared himself a candidate for the 2004 presidential nomination. By mid-March 2004, he had won nearly every caucus or primary election and had enough delegates to assure his nomination. In July, at the Democratic Party’s national convention in Boston, Kerry formally became the party’s presidential nominee. At Kerry’s request, the delegates nominated Senator John Edwards for vice president. Kerry and Edwards lost to President Bush and Vice President Richard B. Cheney in the general election.
Kerry became chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009. In January 2013, he stepped down from his Senate seat after being confirmed as U.S. secretary of state. President Barack Obama had nominated Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton in the Cabinet post. As secretary of state, Kerry worked to negotiate agreements related to developments in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iran. He also renewed efforts to forge a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. In 2014, Kerry pushed for a diplomatic solution to end violent separatist activity in Ukraine. Kerry also worked to build domestic and international support for a coalition to fight Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria.
In 2021, President Biden named Kerry special envoy for climate, a position within Biden’s National Security Council. The envoy works to ensure that the administration’s national security and foreign policies consider the threats posed by climate change. Kerry stepped down from the position in 2024.
Kerry has written several books, including The New War: The Web of Crime that Threatens America’s Security (1997); A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America (2003); and This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future (2007). A memoir, Every Day Is Extra, was published in 2018.
