Madeleine Albright, 1st female secretary of state, dead at 84

Madeleine Albright, 1st female secretary of state, dead at 84
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(WASHINGTON) — Madeleine Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state, died Wednesday from cancer at age 84, according to her family.

She was nominated for secretary of state by President Bill Clinton and served in the role from 1997 to 2001.

In a State Department briefing Wednesday, spokesperson Ned Price said President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been notified of her death.

“The impact that Secretary Albright … had on this building is felt every single day in just about every single corridor,” Price said.

Price said Albright was a mentor to Blinken, his deputy Wendy Sherman and many others.

“A tireless champion of democracy and human rights, she was at the time of her death a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, part of Dentons Global Advisors, chair of Albright Capital Management, president of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, chair of the National Democratic Institute, chair of the U.S. Defense Policy Board, and an author,” her family said in a statement.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News’ Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.

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