Robert S. McNamara was an American businessman and government official who served as the Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968 under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He played a key role during the Vietnam War, advocating for military strategies and policies that aimed to contain the spread of communism. Before his government career, McNamara worked at Ford Motor Company, where he became the first president of the company outside the founding family. After leaving the Pentagon, he served as the president of the World Bank from 1968 to 1981, focusing on global development and poverty reduction.