Report on Capricia Marshall Event, December 3, 2020

Capricia Marshall joined Club members on Thursday, December 3 for an hour of discussion about her professional life in the White House, the State Department and around the world. Born in Cleveland to parents of Mexican and Croatian heritage, she graduated from CWRU School of Law and joined the Bill Clinton for President campaign in 1992. Shortly she was indispensable to Hillary Clinton, became White House Social Secretary and then U.S. Chief of Protocol when Hillary was Secretary of State.

Having been tasked with assuring that State Dinners and international conferences for presidents went smoothly, Capricia said growing up with her Cleveland family had something to do with her diplomatic skills. “When I was young we had all sorts of people come to our home; I heard all manner of languages, and we ate all sorts of foods. That multi-cultural experience was great for the jobs I ended up in.”

She gave examples of how protocol helped shape decisions. When President Obama was to meet President Putin for the first time, Capricia called for a small rather than a cavernous room and one with a low ceiling, the better for President Obama to nudge Putin toward some policy refinements. She also related elucidating stories of how gifts can set the tone for international relationships and meetings, a notable one when President Obama met Queen Elizabeth for the first time. These, and other experiences, are spun out in her book Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy.

Asked how she handled the pressure of planning and delivering high-stakes encounters of world political and financial leaders, Capricia admitted to being “energized by the butterflies you feel in your stomach. I enjoy the planning, that is, setting the path along which these persons will go, one hopes with confidence and optimism,” she said.

Asked her impressions of soon-to-be-president Joe Biden, she related that he always wanted to be deeply briefed and fully prepared but that he also had a little rebellious streak. “He tended sometimes to go off-plan,” she said. “He was lots of fun. You never knew what to expect.”