On July 25, 2000, Secretary Dick Cheney, current Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Halliburton Company, was asked by the Republican nominee for President, George W. Bush, to serve as his Vice Presidential running mate. Secretary Cheney has had a distinguished career as a businessman and public servant, serving under three presidents, and as an elected official. Throughout his service, Secretary Cheney served with duty, honor and unwavering leadership.

Secretary Cheney grew up in Casper, Wyoming and was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 30, 1941. He earned BA and MA degrees from the University of Wyoming.

His career in public service began in 1969 when he joined the Nixon Administration, serving in a number of positions at the Cost of Living Council, the Office of Economic Opportunity, and within the White House.

When Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency in August 1974, Mr. Cheney served on the transition team and later as Deputy Assistant to the President. In November 1975, he was named Assistant to the President and White House Chief of Staff, a position he held throughout the remainder of the Ford Administration.

After he returned to his home state of Wyoming in 1977, Mr. Cheney was elected to serve as the state’s sole Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was re-elected five times and elected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee from 1981-1987. He was elected Chairman of the House Republican Conference in 1987 and elected House Minority Whip in 1988. During his tenure in the House, Secretary Cheney earned a reputation as a man of knowledge, character and accessibility.

Cheney also served a crucial role when America needed him most. As Secretary of Defense from March 1989 to January 1993, Mr. Cheney directed two of the largest military campaigns in recent history – Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East. He was responsible for shaping the future of the U.S. military in an age of profound and rapid change as the Cold War ended. For his leadership in the Gulf War, Secretary Cheney was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George Bush on July 3, 1991.

Secretary Cheney married his high school sweetheart, Lynne Ann Vincent, in 1964. Lynne Cheney, is a distinguished public servant in her own right, having served as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is also a leader in developing high standards and sound curriculum for public schools. Mrs. Cheney was born in Casper, Wyoming. Secretary and Mrs. Cheney have two children, daughters Liz and Mary.

Secretary Cheney is a Methodist and has served on the board of various charitable, business, and civic organizations including serving as National Fund Raising Co-Chair for the Oklahoma City Memorial Foundation.