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William John Bennett (born July 3, 1943) served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. He was also the first person to occupy the post of " drug czar".

Bennett was born in Brooklyn, New York. After moving to Washington, DC, he attended Gonzaga College High School. He graduated from Williams College, and went on to get a PhD from the University of Texas in Political Philosophy. He also has a law degree from Harvard Law School.

From 1976 to 1981, he was the executive director of the National Humanities Center , a private research facility in North Carolina. In 1981, President Reagan appointed him to head the National Endowment for the Humanities. He served here until Reagan nominated him, in 1985, to be the Secretary of Education.

He was a controversial Secretary of Education. He articulated the conservative position on affirmative actionAffirmative action ( U. English), also called positive discrimination or reverse discrimination ( British English) or employment equity is conciously choosing people who have traditionally been discriminated against. This consists of preferential access t, school vouchersSchool choice is the slogan of a U. movement to give parents more say in which primary and secondary schools their children attend. The movement hopes that increased choice will cause more fierce competition between different schools, and thereby raise th, curriculum reform, and religion in education. He asked colleges to enforce drug laws. He supported a classical education rooted in Western culture and derided multiculturalMulticulturalism or cultural pluralism is a policy, ideal, or reality that emphasizes the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world, especially as they relate to one another in immigrant receiving nations. The term was coined in Canada in courses. He frequently criticized schools for low standards. He resigned this position in 1988, in the final days of the Reagan Administration.

He was appointed to the post of Director of the Office of National Drug Control PolicyThe White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. Mission The principal purpose of ONDCP is to establish policies, p in 1989 by President BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States ( 1989 1993). Previously, he had served as ambassador to the United Nations ( 1971 1973), director of the CIA 1976 1977, and the 43rd Vice President of the United. He was confirmed by the Senate on a 97-2 vote.

Long active in United States Republican Party politics, he is now a conservative author and speaker. He was frequently quoted throughout the 1990's for his books and opinion pieces. In these writings, he denounced a perceived lack of virtue in American society, particularly among young people.

In 20032003 is a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar), and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Summary Perhaps the defining global event of the year 2003 was the Invasion of Iraq launched by the U, it became widely known that he was a high-stakes gambler who had lost millions of dollars in Las Vegas. This conflicted with his public image as a leading voice for conservative morals.

After Bennett's gambling habit became public knowledge, and after he admitted having lost as much as $8,000,000 within a one-year period, he claimed he was never addicted to gambling and compared his gambling to responsible drinking. Bennett did, however, say that he does not believe that his habit sets a good example and he now claims to have quit gambling for good.

Bennett's best-known work may be The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories , which he edited; he has also authored and edited ten other books including, The Children’s Book of Virtues, and The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals.

Bennett is a staunch supporter of the War on Drugs and has been criticized for his extreme views on the issue. On a radio show, he said that a listener's suggestion to behead drug dealers would be 'morally plausible'.

While a graduate student in philosophy at the University of Texas, Bennett, then a rock fan, was set up on a blind date with Janis Joplin, who was then at the height of her singing career. According to People magazine, the date "must surely rank as one of the least likely blind dates of all time." In later life, Bennett would condemn rock fans as immoral. When asked what he and Janis did on their date, Bennett said, "Hey, that really is none of your business."

He and his wife, Elayne have two sons, John and Joseph.