Constance Ernestine Berry Newman (born July 8, 1935, in
Chicago,
Illinois) is an American attorney and diplomat who served as the
United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
The Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs is the head of the Bureau of African Affairs, within the United States Department of State, who guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in the countries of sub-Saharan Afric ...
from July 2004 to April 2005.
Early life and education
Constance Berry Newman is the daughter of a social worker and nurse. Her father was a physician. She received her high school diploma from Tuskegee Institute High School, located on the campus of the Tuskegee University, where she was an honor roll student and active in the Government Club, in 1951. She earned a B.S. in Political Science from
Bates College and a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from the
University of Minnesota Law School in 1959.
Career
Newman worked as a clerk typist, personnel assistant, and personnel manager with the
United States Department of the Interior from 1962 to 1967. She worked with migrant farmers in the Office of Economic Development from 1967 to 1969. From 1969 to 1971 she served as Special Assistant to
Elliot Richardson, who headed what is now known as the
Department of Health and Human Services. In 1971,
Richard Nixon appointed Newman to serve as director of
AmeriCorps VISTA, the domestic arm of the
Peace Corps. She served as the Commissioner and Vice Chair of the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission from 1973 to 1976. Newman oversaw the consumer unit focused on Indian and elderly affairs as the Assistant Director of the
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1976 to 1977. She co-founded Newman and Hermanson Company, a consulting firm specializing in the government regulatory procedures from 1977.
She worked as President of the Institute of American Business from 1982 to 1984, and as a Private Consultant from 1984 to 1987 on issues related to Africa, working on a
World Bank project in which she lived and worked in the
Southern African
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
country of
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
. Newman received the "Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service" in 1985. She worked as the Cooperative Housing Foundation consultant on a World Bank project in Lesotho to merge existing housing corporations into one that was structured to receive World Bank funding from 1987 to 1988. She then served as the Director of the
United States Office of Personnel Management from 1989 to 1992. Newman received the "Central State University" award in 1991. She began a serious undertaking of re-inventing of the OPM, involving unions, the personnel community, managers' associations in strategic planning for federal human resources management. Also, she focused on civil servants' role in delivering critical public services. As Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1992 to 2000, she received the Joseph Henry Medal in 2000, the Smithsonian's highest award for recognition of her distinguished service, achievements and contributions to the prestige and growth of the Smithsonian Institution. At around the same time, from 1995 to 2001, she was a Board Member and Vice Chair of the
, and from 1998 to 2001 as a Board Member of the
International Republican Institute. She won the "Washingtonian of the Year" award in 1998.
Newman served as the Assistant Administrator for Africa of the
United States Agency for International Development from November 2001 to June 2004. USAID is the government agency that administers economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide. On June 24, 2004, President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
appointed her
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
The Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs is the head of the Bureau of African Affairs, within the United States Department of State, who guides operation of the U.S. diplomatic establishment in the countries of sub-Saharan Afric ...
. She had a central role in several aspects of U.S. Africa policy. She helped determine that "genocide has been committed" in Sudan's Darfur region for
Colin Powell
Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...
's speech in September 2004.
She resigned in April 2005 and was succeeded by
Jendayi Frazer
Jendayi Elizabeth Frazer (born 1961) is the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, heading the Bureau of African Affairs. She was a Distinguished Service Professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College and Departm ...
. She is a member of the board of directors of the
International Republican Institute.
In 2019, she was announced as one of the members of the inaugural class of the Government Hall of Fame, a project created by the business publication ''
Government Executive
''Government Executive'' is an American media publication based in Washington, D.C., that covers daily government business for civilians, federal bureaucrats, and military officials. ''Government Executive'' is part of GovExec, which is owned by ...
''.
References
External links
The History Makers Biography – Constance Berry NewmanJill Sudhoff-Guerin ''allAfrica'' July 23, 2004
House Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on Africa July 22, 2004
Before the House Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on Africa March 11, 2003
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newman, Constance Berry
1936 births
Amherst College
Bates College alumni
Central State University
Directors of the United States Office of Personnel Management
International Republican Institute
Living people
Assistant Secretaries of State for African Affairs
United States Department of State officials
University of Minnesota Law School alumni
George W. Bush administration personnel
African-American women in politics
Illinois Republicans
Lawyers from Washington, D.C.
African-American diplomats
American diplomats
21st-century American women politicians
21st-century American politicians
American women diplomats