George Pratt Shultz (1920–2021) was an American economist, businessman, diplomat, and statesman. Born in New York City to Birl Earl Shultz and Margaret Lennox Pratt, he served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and then pursued an academic career at MIT and the University of Chicago, where he became a leading labor economist. Shultz entered government service under President Richard Nixon as Secretary of Labor (1969), then served as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (1970–1972) and Secretary of the Treasury (1972–1974), and later served under President Ronald Reagan as U.S. Secretary of State (1982–1989); he was one of only two individuals to hold four different Cabinet-level positions. Outside government he led Bechtel Corporation as president and co‑chairman. In later years he was a distinguished fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, focusing on global challenges such as climate change and nuclear proliferation, and mentored Condoleezza Rice. He remained active in public discourse until his death on February 6, 2021, at age 100.