vietnam war Washington (DC) USA - 22 Nov 1967 File Photo -
Robert McNamara at a meeting, at the Cabinet Room, White House, Washington, DC
Robert Strange McNamara (born June 9, 1916) is an American business executive and a former United States Secretary of Defense. McNamara served as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968, during the Vietnam War. After holding that position he became President of the World Bank (1968-1981). McNamara was responsible for the institution of systems analysis in public policy, which developed into the discipline known today as policy analysis.[1]