Thomas S. Gates Jr.

1906-04-10 - 1983-03-25 Contemporaries

Thomas Sovereign Gates Jr. (1906–1983) was an American politician and diplomat who served as Secretary of Defense from 1959 to 1961 and Secretary of the Navy from 1957 to 1959, both under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. During his tenure as Secretary of Defense he established a task force to set nuclear target priorities and authorized U-2 reconnaissance flights, including the flight of Francis Gary Powers. Later in his career he served as chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing, appointed by President Gerald Ford.