Paul Henry Nitze (1907-2004) was a prominent American diplomat, businessman, arms control expert, and government official whose career as a Cold War strategist profoundly influenced U.S. foreign policy. Born on January 16, 1907, in Amherst, Massachusetts, to William Albert Nitze, a professor of Romance linguistics, and Anina Sophia (Hilken), a homemaker of German descent, Nitze's family roots traced back to the Magdeburg region in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As a young boy, he witnessed the outbreak of World War I while traveling in Germany with his family, an experience that later informed his views on international affairs. Nitze attended Harvard University, graduating in 1927, after which he entered the world of finance as an investment banker on Wall Street, amassing significant wealth during the 1920s and early 1930s.

Nitze's transition to public service began during World War II, when he joined the U.S. government, eventually rising to key positions across multiple administrations. He served as Director of Policy Planning for the State Department under President Truman, where he was the principal author of NSC-68, a seminal 1950 document that advocated for a massive buildup of U.S. military capabilities to counter the Soviet threat, fundamentally shaping Cold War defense strategy. Over the decades, Nitze held influential roles including U.S. Secretary of the Navy (1963-1967) under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, Deputy Secretary of Defense (1967-1969 and 1984-1989) under Presidents Johnson, Nixon, and Reagan, and negotiator in major arms control talks such as SALT I and SALT II. He co-founded Team B in 1976, a group that critically assessed U.S. intelligence on Soviet capabilities, often advocating for a more hawkish stance, and was also a co-founder of the Committee to Maintain a Prudent Defense Policy.

Throughout his career, Nitze was known for his hawkish yet pragmatic approach to nuclear strategy and arms control, bridging administrations from Democrat to Republican. He received numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and continued influencing policy into his later years through writings and advisory roles. Nitze passed away on October 19, 2004, in Washington, D.C., leaving a legacy as an architect of American Cold War policy that balanced deterrence with diplomacy.