Brookings President Cecilia Rouse issued the below statement following the passing of Michael Armacost:
“Brookings is saddened to share the news that former Brookings President Michael Armacost passed away on March 8 at the age of 87. Armacost served as president from 1995 to 2002 following a distinguished 24-year career in public service that included time as undersecretary of state for political affairs and ambassador to Japan and the Philippines.”
Armacost also authored four books, including, “Friends or Rivals? The Insider’s Account of U.S.–Japan Relations” (1996), which draws on his tenure as ambassador, and “Ballots, Bullets, and Bargains: American Foreign Policy and Presidential Elections” (2015).
A native of Ohio, Armacost graduated from Carleton College and earned his master’s and doctorate degrees in public law and government from Columbia University. He received the President’s Distinguished Service Award, the Defense Department’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Services Award, and the Japanese government’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
To his colleagues at Brookings, Armacost was a transformational leader and cherished friend. More information about Armacost’s impressive career and work can be found here.