Ashton B. Carter, an academic physicist who later climbed the leadership ranks at the Pentagon, culminating in two years as secretary of defense under President Barack Obama, a position he used to further open the military to women and transgender service members, died on Monday in Boston. He was 68.
The cause was a heart attack, his family said in a statement.
Dr. Carter was widely regarded for his prowess in military technology and policy. After teaching at Harvard and directing its John F. Kennedy School of Government, he joined the Clinton administration in 1993 as assistant secretary of defense for international security policy. In that position, he directed efforts to assist post-Soviet states in securing their stockpiles of nuclear weapons.
Later, in the first Obama administration, he served as deputy secretary of defense under Chuck Hagel. He helped carry out the president’s shift to Asia, reshuffling defense resources and priorities to the Pacific Rim in an effort to counter China.
He is survived by his wife, Stephanie, his daughter, Ava, and his son, Will.
A complete obituary will follow.
