♪ and, alice, katie.♪

♪ to all the spouses and ♪ ♪ grandchildren.♪ ♪ sister kathy and brother ♪ ♪ john.♪ ♪ thank you for gathering ♪ ♪ here with me the chance to ♪ ♪ say a few words.♪ ♪ mister president, ♪ ♪ president and mrs. obama, ♪ ♪ vice president gore.♪ ♪ all the members of ♪ ♪ congress and the ♪ ♪ diplomatic corps and ♪ ♪ cabinets past and present ♪ ♪ and especially to all of ♪ ♪ you who had the distinct ♪ ♪ honor and i will the joy ♪ ♪ of working with madeleine ♪ ♪ all right.♪

♪ our last conversation was ♪ ♪ two weeks before she ♪ ♪ passed away.♪ ♪ and we always spent the ♪ ♪ first few minutes telling ♪ ♪ stories that we swore were ♪ ♪ true.♪ ♪ and joking with each other ♪ ♪ and then i said tell me ♪ ♪ how you're feeling.♪ ♪ she said look, i got a ♪ ♪ little problem your got a ♪ ♪ perfectly good doctor, i'm ♪ ♪ doing what he tells me to ♪ ♪ do so i'm getting good ♪ ♪ care and whatever happens ♪ ♪ will be the best outcome i ♪ ♪ can get.♪ ♪ let's not waste any time ♪ ♪ on that.♪ ♪ the only thing that ♪ ♪ matters is what kind of ♪ ♪ world were going to leave ♪ ♪ to ourgrandchildren .♪ ♪ i will never forget that ♪ ♪ conversation as long as i♪ ♪ live .♪ ♪ it was so perfectly ♪ ♪ madeleine.♪ ♪ yes, i'd like to list to ♪ ♪ be 90, 95, 100 but the ♪ ♪ thing that matters is ♪ ♪ what's going to happen to ♪

♪ our grandchildren's ♪ ♪ generation?♪ ♪ are we going to lose our ♪ ♪ democracy?♪ ♪ have we decided after all ♪ ♪ that all that matters are ♪ ♪ our differences in this ♪ ♪ fleeting life instead of ♪ ♪ what we have incommon ?♪ ♪ and so madeleine made a ♪ ♪ decision with her last ♪ ♪ breath she would go out ♪ ♪ with her boots on.♪ ♪ in this case, supporting ♪ ♪ president biden and all ♪ ♪ america's efforts to help ♪ ♪ ukraine.♪ ♪ what kind of world are we ♪ ♪ going to leave to our ♪ ♪ grandchildren?♪ ♪ that question is kind of ♪ ♪ up in the air.♪ ♪ but not because of ♪ ♪ madeleine albright.♪ ♪ i was honored to be part ♪ ♪ of her life for more than ♪ ♪ 30years .♪

♪ i was thrilled when ♪ ♪ chelsea got to meet her ♪ ♪ and what an influence she ♪ ♪ had on chelsea and lots of ♪ ♪ other women.♪ ♪ i was amazed by the ♪ ♪ friendships she formed ♪ ♪ with hillary andgrateful ♪ ♪ for that .♪ ♪ but i met her a long time ♪ ♪ ago.♪ ♪ she was working in a new ♪ ♪ caucus campaign and i'm a ♪ ♪ graduate of georgetown ♪ ♪ where she taught so i knew ♪ ♪ her by reputation and i ♪ ♪ knew she'd been voted best ♪ ♪ teacher by her students ♪ ♪ twice but when i finally ♪ ♪ met her i realized that ♪ ♪ she was even better than♪ ♪ advertise .♪ ♪ she was smart, ♪ ♪ tough-minded, talented.♪ ♪ she had a great sense of ♪ ♪ humor and hope your grasp ♪

♪ of the closedpostwar world ♪ ♪ we were moving into .♪ ♪ so when i was elected i ♪ ♪ asked madeleine to manage ♪ ♪ the transition for the ♪ ♪ national security council.♪ ♪ which wound up filled with ♪ ♪ incredibly gifted balanced ♪ ♪ people and we hadmore ♪ ♪ problems than we could say ♪ ♪ grace over and we needed ♪ ♪ every one of them .♪ ♪ as i watched her more, i ♪ ♪ decided to ask her to be ♪ ♪ ambassador to the united ♪ ♪ nations because her life ♪ ♪ story was about to become ♪ ♪ the story of the last part ♪ ♪ of the 20thcentury and ♪ ♪ much of the world .♪ ♪ and because she could be ♪ ♪ the voice of america.♪ ♪ and after four years in ♪ ♪ which she continued to ♪ ♪ defy expectations and ♪ ♪ sometimes raise eyebrows, ♪

♪ i have to say that.♪ ♪ she would never forgive me ♪ ♪ if ididn't mention this .♪ ♪ when the cubans shot down ♪ ♪ the rescue planes in ♪ ♪ violation of international ♪ ♪ law, they had a ♪ ♪ conversation which ♪ ♪ madeleine got a copy of on ♪ ♪ their radio.♪ ♪ about how they had shown ♪ ♪ their cojones by shooting ♪ ♪ down a couple of planes ♪ ♪ that were dropping ♪ ♪ pro-democracy leaflets in cuba it was illegal and he

says that's notcojones, that's cowardice . and all of a sudden it was on the lips of everybody in south florida. people said it's so unladylike. and i called her and said i'm just jealous. it's the best line delivered by anybody in this administration since i'vebeen here . and keep on going. it was great. we spent a happy day together . two years ago and because of oh four years after the conflict there, freed by the genuine threat of genocide we walked hand-in-hand on a sunny, sunny june day.

down the street there were about quarter of 1 million people there. a lotof people in a small country like that . and we came to the subject of our scrolls which was a beautiful bust of madeleine in a shrug surrounded by tall spans that was their tribute to her for being there for them. we see that legacy honored. all the things she did with kosovo, with bosnia. we see it in so many ways. >> ..

we have enough people together to do what is now being done in a different way to try to save ukraine. from the day she entered until the day she left, she tried to stick up for people who are left out or left behind, and in spite of all the imperfections and we all know them, i'm very grateful of the piece that befell in bosnia now for 26 years. you see a legacy auditor by thee president and the vice president of columbia where madeleine believe being a good neighbor

was dealing with a country that was oldest country in south america which a third of the land was under control than other narco traffickers, and just a few years later the 50th anniversary of the development bank was held in medellin, formally the drug capital of the world that you believe in that. she believed in integrity that all former republics of the soviet union, and i believe the president of georgia who is here today, and i'm very grateful for that. i'm grateful that she was an aggressive voice, supporting vice president gore when we were trying to sound the alarm on climate change.

and we didn't always win, in case you didn't notice. for example, when i flew to japan to get the kyoto accord, the first international group on climate change, the senate voted against it 98 to nothing before we got off the airplane home. but madeline thought it was right thing to do and she kept banging the drum. and i think time has proved her right. the secretary of states job, as i have came to learn first income is a traveling job. i was fortunate to travel many miles with her. when i first heard that she passed away, the very first thing i i did, i was home in w york, was to go into the kitchen and look at these two beautiful paintings from haiti that

madeleine gave hillary and me, because she knew how much we care about what happened there. and they are just -- there are just so many things that i remember, i remember that in addition to columbia she was always interested in argentina not only because they were a very strong ally of the united states, but because when it went on the state visit there and she went with me, i went into come with hillary, we went into a dance hall in downtown buenos aires, and there was madeleine dancing amine tango. most of us were looking for lessons. she was looking for the dance floor. period she was always about half a step ahead on one of these things. mattered a lot. now, i am saying this all

because she was a really fully developed woman. i mean, her life was sort of a microcosm of the late 20th century in europe and the united states. her family was run out of her home, first by hitler and then by stalin. she came to america still not knowing the true story of her family and what they done to survive. after she was secretary of state she finally learned that she was actually raised jewish and at three of her four grandchildren, grandparents died in the holocaust. but some are in the middle of all that we gave a distinguished czech diplomat and a sound a chance to come to america, as refugees. and their daughter bound up

becoming ambassador to the u.n. and secretary secreta. and doing lots of other good things. she made us laugh. she made us cry here are some of she made mad. but she had a full, hopeful life because she knew what she believed in. she knew what she was four. she knew what she was against. and she wanted other people -- what she was four. and then to talk about it instead of kill each other over it. that was basically her simple political philosophy. today we see in ukraine all too tragically what madeleine always knew, that the advance of

freedom is neither inevitable nor permit it, and that in politics where the lure of power is strong and the temptation to abuse it is often irresistible,, there are no permanent victories or defeats. her book on fascism was one of many she wrote. i personally loved the one she wrote comparing the relationship of religion and politics in different countries. she just was curious. i want you to remember that. she was a great secretary of state. she did 20 of the things could mention, but the most important thing she did is god gave her a fine mind, a wealth of experience for anybody who's willing to pay attention to it, and she made the most of it not just for herself but for other people. she loved this country more than you will ever know.

and one of my proudest sad moments was when we went together to a funeral, and i believe that his wife and high officials of the czech government are here today, too. madeleine spoke for the united states, and we were in the national cathedral. it was freezing cold, and madeleine got up and started morning and paying tribute to her friend in their native tongue. the impact on the audience was electric. she spoke about five languages i think, four then i knew anyway. some would say five, it anyway -- [laughing] the impact was electric, and i

kept thinking this is what america is about. that a hard-working immigrant family could come here, and it could come to this. so i ask you, madeleine said once that we can't just be actors. we have to to be authors of her own history. she was a great author. but will people read, remember follow. this is what she would want me to say today. i had a good life.

i was happy. i was so blessed in my family and my work and friends. but freedom and democracy and the rule of law are not permanently enshrined just because we have survived 200 plus years. now, think about the world you want for your grandchildren, and work for it. we love you, madeleine. we miss you. but i pray to god we never stop hearing you. just sit on our shoulder and nag us to death until we do the right thing. god bless you. thank you.

>> president biden, president and mrs. obama, president clinton, vice president gore, secretaries of state, members of the cabinet, members of congress, and friends from literally around the world, gathered on this glorious day in this magnificent cathedral to celebrate the extraordinary life and service of madeleine k.

albright. two madeleine's beloved family, her brother john and sister kathy, her daughters, and, alice and katie, her sons in law, her six grandchildren, thank you for sharing her with us all of these years. madeleine and i bonded over many things, but in recent years we bonded over the joy of being grandmothers. nothing made her light up like talking about all of you, or as bill has said, made her more determined to help build a better, freer, safer world. that mission, which animated her entire life, never wavered. in her last memoir, she shared

the urgency that she always felt. she wrote, there is no shortage of worthwhile work to be done, and no surplus of seasons in which to do it. that is the wisdom of the woman who learned to early in life that life is fragile, freedom can't be taken for granted, democracy must be defended. peace must be one, and there is no time to waste doing any of that. it is the resolve of the refugee who fled tyranny twice before the age of 11. and it is the determination of a diplomat who knew war, and

worked to end it. i was privileged to know madeleine through many seasons of our lives, and she was always in a hurry to do good. we first met in the 1980s at a benefit for the children's defense fund here in washington. she introduced herself as a fellow wellesley college graduate. and the seeds of our friendship were sown. we called each other 59 and 69. she was ten ten years aheadn college, but in some ways it might have been a different century altogether. the commencement speaker, when she graduated from wellesley, a

former secretary of defense, told the class of 1959 that their main responsibility was to get married and raise interesting children. now, madeleine did that, of course, but instead of resting on her maternal laurels, or even resting while her newborn twins were in the neonatal intensive care unit, she decided, presciently, it was time to learn russian at the local college. later as a professor herself, she inspired her students to share her spirit of urgency and action. silence may be golden, she told them, but it won't win many

arguments. you have to interrupt. this came in handy when bill named her ambassador to the united nations in 1993, and then secretary of state in 1996. now, it's been said that i urged my husband to nominate her as our first female secretary of state. unlike much that's been said, the story -- unlike much that bill said, this story is true. [laughing] and and i was thrilled when he agreed. when dictators dragged their feet, or ambassadors filibustered, madeleine never hesitated to speak up. and just in case they didn't get

the message, she would put on a snail pen to signal her impatience. a dozen times a day she would ask her team, what's next? turning her boundless energy and intellect to yet another crucial global challenge. she was irrepressible, wickedly funny, very stylish, and always ready for a laugh. she brought the same energy to her friendship as she did to her diplomacy. yes, it's true, she did teach the foreign minister of botswana the mack arena at the u.n. security council meeting, and snuck off early from an official event to do the tango in buenos aires.

she was even invited to compete on "dancing with the stars" -- [laughing] -- after she took up the dance floor at chelsea is waiting in the arms i would add of a much younger, very handsome man. she guest starred on tv shows like gilmore girls and madam secretary. in fact, she and colin powell, of blessed memory, and madeleine and i were on that series which we all three loud and actually watched. as madeleine was always making a point to the scriptwriter, that would not have happened. [laughing] and finally colin said to her, maximum, it's fiction, it's a story. she said i know, but i want him to get it right.

she took me on a memorable walking tour of her beloved proud in the midst of a driving rainstorm -- prague, which left us both laughing so hard we hardly notice. and we spent a memorable evening together at the home of president and mrs. hobble, just the four of us having dinner. i got to listen to them talk about what it meant for their beloved country to be free. she met regularly with a group of former foreign ministers who were known as madeleine and her exes. and, yes, i just want to make it clear, she really could press like press 400 pounds.

when that first came out, there were doubters. anyone who knew madeleine didn't, but not everyone had that great pleasure. and so she made it very clear by going to her gym as soon as the article came out to do it again so that people would know, yes, she did. and she meant toward the next generation -- mentored the next generation of women leaders through vital forces, an organization that she and i helped to start back in the late '90s, and the albright institute at her beloved wellesley college. she relished her annual journey north to wellesley outside of boston each winter to meet with the institutes fellows. they came from all corners of the globe to hear from experts,

to think critically about our biggest challenges, and to prepare for central roles in solving them. and very often she would call me when she returned with just such enthusiasm in her voice about the young women that she had just spent time with, and what they were going to do in the future. she led the american delegation to the historical u.n. conference on women in beijing in 1995, and she urged me to push the envelope on women's rights in the speech i delivered there. she also came with us the next day about 45 minutes outside of beijing to where the non-governmental organizations and activists had been sent, and where we in the midst of a

driving rain, another driving rain with me and madeleine, waded through the mud, try to avoid the security from the chinese government who were not happy that madeleine and i were there, in order to speak to those women who would go home across the world to spread the message that women's rights are human rights. she never blinked. she just pulled herself up to her full height, which i never believed was five feet, but however high and was, she took every inch and every part of her spine was great as a steel bar and just look at the security people and said, get out of our way, we're going to our meeting. she didn't just help other women. she spent her entire life counseling and cajoling,

inspiring and lifting up so many of us who are here today. so, the angels better be wearing their best pens and putting on their dancing shoes, because if as madeleine believed, there's a special place in hell for women who don't support other women, they haven't seen anyone like her yet. [applause] >> and yes, on top of all that, she continued to issue warnings about the dangers posed by authoritarianism and fascism with undeniable moral clarity. until the end she was still in a hurry to do good.

as bill said, , during the last phone call two weeks before she died, she talked about the importance of what president biden is doing to rally the world against putin's horrific invasion of ukraine, and the urgent work of defending democracy at home and around the world. she knew her than most, and she warned us in her book on fascism that yes, it can happen here, and time and courage of the essence. the bible tells us that to everything there is a season, and the type and purpose under heaven, a time to weep and a time to laugh.

if madeleine were here with us today she would also remind us this must be a season of action. and yes, once again we must heed the wisdom of her life and the cause of her public service. stand up to dictators and demagogues, from the battlefields of ukraine to the halls of her own capital. defend democracy at home just as vigorously as we do a broad. live up to the ideals of a country that welcomed an 11-year-old refugee sailing into new york harbor on a ship called ss america, and made her secretary of state. let us honor madeleine's life

and legacy by being the indispensable nation she loved and served. and let us live as she did, in a hurry to do the most good we can with every season under heaven. god speed, 59. god bless you, dear madeleine. we will never ever forget you. [applause]