Robert D. McFadden

He helped build the ad agency BBDO International into a powerhouse before channeling his passion for opera into managing the Met and revitalizing Lincoln Center.

He took part in White House machinations to stop damning leaks of classified information and directed the break-in at the Democrats’ headquarters that undid a presidency.

A Democrat turned Republican, he was the only Native American during three terms in the House of Representatives and in 12 years in the Senate. He was also a judo expert and an Olympian.

He was a foremost authority on the president, tracking his career, in unvarnished accounts, from his time as California governor through his years in the White House.

He won the prestigious award for his daring coverage of the Vietnam War for The Associated Press, and went on to cover conflicts for CNN for nearly two decades.

He was both the first Black person and the first educator to hold the cabinet position, but resigned amid discord over George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind.

He gave readers a comprehensive and lyrical account of the historic mission in 1969. His science coverage as a Pulitzer-winning journalist and an author took him around the world.

He designed museums, schools and libraries before winning international acclaim late in life for 15 Central Park West in Manhattan, hailed as a rebirth of the luxury apartment building.