Former Secretary of State Madeleine Korbel Albright spoke Monday about her career and the generosity of the American spirit. She was the first speaker in the “Unique Lives and Experiences” lecture series presented by The Denver Post at the Denver Performing Arts Center.

In 1993 Albright made history by becoming the first female Secretary of State.

“I am just so grateful that the American people put their faith in me and gave me their support,” said Albright. “Without that, my success would not have been possible.”

During her eight years as Secretary of State, Albright remained a staunch proponent of human rights.

“There was a time when [the world] could say that they did not know what was happening in some of these countries,” she explained. “However, today we have the capabilities of producing enough food, building enough shelter, and making enough medicine” to fulfill the needs of the world.

During the sold out event, Albright recounted stories of her youth, much of it spent here in Denver.

“I call Denver my home town,” Albright said. “Denver was the first place that Albright and her family settled when they moved to America to escape the rising wave of political strife in Eastern Europe.”

A graduate of Kent High School, Albright got the opportunity to interview former President John F. Kennedy, a man whom she greatly admires while working for her school newspaper. Albright also worked for The Denver Post for a short time writing obituaries.

She then accepted a teaching post at Georgetown University. Albright also followed in the footsteps of her father, Josef Korbel, who was a Dean of the Graduate School for International Studies at DU, by serving as a representative to the United Nations.