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Meet Condoleezza Rice - Condoleezza Rice is known for many firsts: She was the first female secretary of state, the first African-American provost at Stanford University and one of the first female members of an all-male country club. The author and educator will have a prominent speaking role at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Keep reading for a look at her trailblazing career.  – Britt Middleton (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Early Life - Condoleezza Rice, 57, was born in Birmingham, Alabama, on Nov. 14, 1954. She is the only child of Angelena Rice, a teacher, and John Wesley Rice, a guidance counselor and ordained minister who himself identified as a Republican. She has never been married and has no children, two topics that have caused intense scrutiny over the course of her political career. (Photo: Rice family, via Associated Press)

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Tough Times - Growing up in segregated Birmingham in a middle-class Black family, Rice experienced firsthand the ugly effects of racism, but overcame those challenges though faith, family and educational opportunities. "Knowing what we know about the difficulties of our own history, knowing the history of Alabama and Mississippi and Tennessee, we should be humble in singing freedom's praise, but our voice should never waiver in speaking out on the side of those who seek freedom," Rice said in a commencement address delivered at Vanderbilt University in 2004. (Photo: Wikicommons)

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Path to Success - She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Denver in 1974, her master's degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1975 and her doctorate degree in political science from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver in 1981. (Photo: stanford.edu)

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Breaking In - Her first official appointment came in 1987 when she served as an advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In 1989, she was appointed director of Soviet and East European Affairs on the National Security Council. (Photo: Rusty Russell/Getty Images)

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Big Leagues - In 2001, Rice was appointed National Security Advisor by President George W. Bush. In 2005, Bush tapped her to replace Colin Powell as U.S. Secretary of State. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Tickling the Ivories - Rice, an accomplished pianist, played a private concert for Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in 2008. When she was 15, she performed with the Denver Symphony Orchestra. She continues to play to this day. (Photo: REUTERS/John Stillwell/Pool)

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Leading Woman - In addition to becoming the first Black woman named secretary of state, Rice was also the first African-American provost at Stanford University, a position she held from 1993 until 1999. Politically, she has been described as a moderate conservative, especially for her pro-choice stance for women's health. (Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)

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Great Negotiator - As secretary of state, Rice's duties were to improve America’s relations with international heads of state. Her most successful achievement was the signing of the Agreement for Cooperation Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (123 Agreement), which facilitated civil nuclear trade between India and the U.S. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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The Lady's Got Game - In August 2012, Rice broke another longstanding barrier by becoming one of two women admitted into the Augusta National Golf Club. The club had not previously accepted women in its 79-year history and did not have a Black member until 1990. (Photo: Birmingham News/Joe Songer/Landov)

Photo By Jamie Squire/Getty Images for Golfweek

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Back to Her Roots - In recent years, Rice has stepped out of the political spotlight and back into the classroom. She is currently the Denning Professor in Global Business and the Economy [SD1] at Stanford University. (Photo: REUTERS/Mike Stone)

Photo By REUTERS/Mike Stone

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Good on Paper - Rice is also a published author: she co-wrote both The Gorbachev Era in 1986 and Germany Unified and Europe Transformed in 1997. Additionally, she authored Uncertain Allegiance — The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army in 1984, among other titles. (Photo: Amazon.com)