Daniel Ellsberg
Daniel Ellsberg is an American activist and former military analyst, best known for his role in the release of the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the U.S. government's efforts to conceal information about the Vietnam War. Born in 1931 in Detroit, Michigan, he graduated from Harvard University and served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining the Rand Corporation as a defense policy analyst. His work included positions at the U.S. Defense Department and as an advisor in South Vietnam, where he gained first-hand insights into the war.
In the early 1970s, Ellsberg made headlines when he leaked classified documents, leading to significant public outcry and a national debate on government transparency. He faced multiple charges, including violations of the Espionage Act, but was eventually cleared of all charges in 1973. Ellsberg has since authored several books, including a memoir detailing his experiences and insights on government secrecy. As a political activist, he has continued to advocate for whistle-blowers and transparency, aligning himself with various movements seeking social and political change. His contributions to public discourse on government accountability have left a lasting impact on both political activism and the study of U.S. foreign policy.
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Daniel Ellsberg
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: April 7, 1931
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: June 16, 2023
- Place of death: Kensington, California
Biography
Daniel Ellsberg was born in 1931 in Detroit, Michigan, the son of a structural engineer. He attended Harvard University, graduating magna cum lade in 1952. That same year, Ellsberg married Carol Cummings, with whom he had two children. Ellsberg earned his master’s degree from Harvard in 1953. The following year, Ellsberg joined the U.S. Marine Corps, serving for two years.
In 1959, he took a job as a defense policy analyst for the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit think tank providing research and analysis on national security, social, political, and economic issues. Ellsberg worked at Rand for three years, earning his Ph.D. from Harvard during that time. He then went to work at the U.S. Defense Department in Washington, D.C., where he served as a staff member to the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. He later was appointed to serve as an advisor to the U.S. State Department in South Vietnam. In 1965, Ellsberg traveled to South Vietnam as an assistant to the United States ambassador to that country. While there, he spent time with members of the military and journalists. Upon his return to the United States, he briefly was an analyst at Rand before taking a position in 1969 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for International Studies. Ellsberg remained at MIT for almost thirty years, and during that time he divorced his first wife and married his second, Patricia Marx.
Ellsberg gained notoriety in the 1970s when he released documents to the press that revealed the government’s efforts to conceal facts about the Vietnam War. The release of the documents, commonly known as the Pentagon Papers, created a national furor and Ellsberg was forced to go into hiding. He was arrested for allegedly violating the Espionage Act in 1971. The following year, he published his book The Pentagon Papers (also known as Papers on the War), discussing the documents he released to the public and describing his insider knowledge of the Vietnam War. In 1973, Ellsberg was cleared of all thirteen charges of theft, conspiracy, and espionage brought against him by the government.
In 2002, Ellsberg published a memoir of his ordeal and the scandal, Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers. This critically acclaimed account received the American Book Award and the Bay Area Reviewers Book Award. Ellsberg also is the recipient of the Tom Paine award and the Gandhi Peace Award. Ellsberg has remained a political activist and dissident, supporting whistle-blowers Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning as well as the Occupy movement.
Bibliography
Rudenstine, David. The Day the Presses Stopped: A History of the Pentagon Papers Case. Berkeley: U of California P, 1996. Print.
Schrag, Peter. Test of Loyalty: Daniel Ellsberg and the Rituals of Secret Government. New York: Simon, 1974. Print.
Wells, Tom. Wild Man: The Life and Times of Daniel Ellsberg. New York: Palgrave, 2001. Print.