Leslie Howard 'Les' Gelb (1937-2019) was a prominent American government official, academic, and journalist known for his influential roles in foreign policy and media. Born to impoverished Jewish immigrants in New Rochelle, New York, Gelb rose from humble beginnings, working as a valet parking attendant and dishwasher to fund his education. He earned a bachelor's degree in government from Tufts University in 1959 and later pursued advanced studies, obtaining a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1964. Gelb's early career included service in the U.S. Army and academic positions, but he gained national prominence as a key figure in the Pentagon Papers, a leaked classified study on the Vietnam War that he helped compile while working at the RAND Corporation. His work exposed critical flaws in U.S. policy, shaping public discourse on the conflict. Gelb's government service peaked as Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs from 1977 to 1979 under President Jimmy Carter, where he directed the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Transitioning to journalism, he became a foreign affairs columnist and senior editor at The New York Times for over a decade, contributing incisive analysis on national security. From 1993 to 2003, he served as president of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), elevating the organization's role in shaping U.S. foreign policy debates. Gelb was married to Judith Cohen and was remembered as a mentor and intellectual giant in diplomatic circles, authoring books like 'Power and Choice' and appearing in documentaries such as Ken Burns' 'The Vietnam War.' He passed away in 2019 at age 82.