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Thursday, November 15, 2007

Togo D. West, Jr.Togo D. West, Jr.
Togo Dennis West, Jr. (born June 21, 1942), an African American attorney and public official, was the third person to occupy the post of United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton on January 27, 1998, during Clinton's second term, and was confirmed by the Senate on May 5, 1998. He had previously served as United States Secretary of the Army under Clinton, from 1993 to 1997.

Personal life
West was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; there, he became an Eagle Scout with Bronze Palms, and attended Atkins High School (where his parents were teachers), graduating as valedictorian in 1959. He subsequently entered Howard University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering in 1965, and a Juris Doctor in 1968, receiving cum laude honors and graduating first in his class. While a freshman at Howard University, he became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega. West is a member of the Kappa Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. While a student at the Howard University School of Law, West became the managing editor for the Howard Law Journal; he also met Gail Berry, who became his wife. The Wests later had two daughters.
He has been named a Distinguished Eagle Scout by the Boy Scouts of America and was awarded the Silver Buffalo Award for his national contributions to America's youth. Currently, he is the President of the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

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