Who served as US Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969 under Kennedy and Johnson?

• A. Dean Rusk
• B. Henry Kissinger
• C. Colin Powell
• D. Madeline Albright

Answer: (A)

The main idea is recognizing who led U.S. diplomacy during the Kennedy and Johnson years, from 1961 to 1969. Dean Rusk held the position of Secretary of State for the entire span, guiding American foreign policy through major Cold War crises and the evolving Vietnam era. He worked closely with Kennedy and then with Johnson, helping shape responses to events like the Berlin and Cuban Missile crises and pushing for continued alliances and diplomatic options even as U.S. involvement abroad grew. The other names listed did not serve in this role during that period: Henry Kissinger came later, in the 1970s, while Colin Powell and Madeline Albright served as Secretary of State in much later administrations.