Congressman (D-IN) 1965-1999

Lee H. Hamilton is Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. He was previously the Director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Prior to becoming Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Mr. Hamilton served for thirty-four years as a United States Congressman from Indiana. He is a member of the advisory council for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and in December, 2002, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States (the 9/11 Commission).

During his tenure in Congress, he served as Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (now the Committee on International Relations), and chaired the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East from the early 1970s until 1993. Mr. Hamilton also served as Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran. Mr. Hamilton served as Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, working to promote long-term economic growth and development, global market competition, and a sound fiscal policy. Mr. Hamilton served as a Commissioner on the United States Commission on National Security in the 21st Century (better known as the Hart-Rudman Commission), and was Co-Chair with former Senator Howard Baker of the Baker-Hamilton Commission to Investigate Certain Security Issues at Los Alamos.

He now serves as Director of the Center on Congress at Indiana University. Mr. Hamilton has been awarded the Knight Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1999, the Paul H. Nitze Award for Distinguished Authority on National Security Affairs in 1999, the American Political Science Association Hubert H. Humphrey Award in 1998, the American Bar Association CEELI Award in 1998, the Center for Civic Education Civitas Award in 1998, the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1998, the Center for National Policy Edmund S. Muskie Distinguished Public Service Award in 1997, the American Political Science Association Outstanding Legislator Award in 1997, the Indiana University President’s Medal for Excellence in 1996, and the Indiana University Institute for Advanced Study Distinguished Citizen Fellow in 1994.

Other awards of distinction include the Central Intelligence Agency Medallion in 1988, the Defense Intelligence Agency Medallion in 1987, the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1985, and the Knight of the French Legion of Honor in 1984.