William Perry
1927

William Perry

American mathematician and businessman, former Secretary of Defense

management engineeracademicmerchantuniversity teachermathematician
Born
1927-10-11, Vandergrift
Birthplace state
Pennsylvania

Biography

William Perry was born on October 11, 1927, in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania. He worked as a mathematician, engineer, businessman, and civil servant, serving as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering from 1977 to 1981, Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1993 to 1994, and United States Secretary of Defense from February 3, 1994, to January 23, 1997, under President Bill Clinton.

Occupation

William Perry is recorded as a management engineer, a academic, a merchant, a university teacher, a mathematician, a politician, a businessperson and a scientist, born in Pennsylvania (b. 1927).

Connections to Pennsylvania

William Perry was born in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania in 1927. Explore other notable figures from Pennsylvania, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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William Perry came from Vandergrift. A full Aubrey report on Vandergrift pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More notable figures from Pennsylvania

Other historical figures born in Pennsylvania, ranked by historical prominence.

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James Buchanan
James Buchanan
president of the United States from 1857 to 1861
Grace Kelly
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American actress and Princess consort of Monaco (1929–1982)
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
American basketball player (1978–2020)
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott
American novelist (1832–1888)

Frequently asked about William Perry

Who was William Perry?
William Perry was American mathematician and businessman, former Secretary of Defense, born in Pennsylvania (1927).
When and where was William Perry born?
William Perry was born on 1927-10-11 in Vandergrift.
What was William Perry known for?
William Perry is recorded as a management engineer, a academic, a merchant, a university teacher, a mathematician, a politician, a businessperson and a scientist.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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