Haig, Alexander Meigs (1924– ), U.S. Army officer, secretary of state, business executive.Born near Philadelphia, Haig attended Notre Dame University and then graduated from West Point in 1947. He soon joined the staff of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Japan and served under him in the Korean War. Subsequently, Haig taught at West Point, held a succession of line, staff, and school assignments in the United States and Europe, and earned an M.A. in international relations from Georgetown University. In 1966–67, he served as a battalion and then brigade commander during the Vietnam War, returning to West Point as deputy commandant.

Between 1969 and 1974, already known as an able officer knowledgeable about the political‐diplomatic aspects of military affairs, Haig served in the Nixon White House as an assistant to national security adviser Henry Kissinger. He had an important role in the 1972–73 negotiations culminating in the Paris Peace Agreements. Appointed a four‐star general, Haig served as Richard M. Nixon's chief of staff, 1973–74. After Nixon's resignation, Haig was appointed commander of NATO forces. Retiring from the army in 1979, he became president and CEO (1979–81) of United Technologies, a major defense contractor.

Under President Ronald Reagan, Haig served as secretary of state, 1981–82, taking a hard line toward the Soviet Union and insurgencies in Central America. In 1982, he supported Britain during the Falklands/Malvinas War and Israel in its invasion of Lebanon. Disputes with Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and national security adviser William Clark led to Haig's resignation. Afterward, he served on a number of corporate boards and was briefly a Republican candidate for president in 1988.

Bibliography

Roger Morris , HAIG! The General's Progress, 1984.
Alexander M. Haig , Caveat: Realism, Reagan and Foreign Policy, 1984.
Alexander M. Haig , Inner Circle: How America Changed the World: A Memoir, 1992.

John Whiteclay Chambers II

Haig, Alexander Meigs (1924– ) US general and public official. He served in the army during the Korean War. During the 1960s, he held appointments as military assistant to the secretary of the army and deputy secretary of defence. After duty in Vietnam, he served as White House chief of staff for President Nixon. He was NATO commander (1974–79) and served as secretary of state (1981–82) under President Reagan.