William S. Cohen

William S. Cohen served as Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from 1997-2001, making him the 20th U.S. defense minister. It was the first time in recent American history that a president had elected a member of the opposing party to his cabinet. Born in Bangor, Maine in 1940, Cohen, a lawyer, was a member of the U.S. Senate and Congress for 24 years. He lives with his wife in the Washington, D.C. area.