During the 1980s , Rumsfeld became a member of the National Academy of Public Administration , and was named a member of the boards of trustees of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation , the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships , the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the National Park Foundation . He was also a member of the U.S. / Russia Business Forum and Chairman of the Congressional Leadership 's National Security Advisory Group . Rumsfeld was a member of the Project for the New American Century , a think-tank dedicated to maintaining U.S. primacy . In addition , he was asked to serve the U.S. State Department as a foreign policy consultant from 1990 to 1993 . He also sat on European engineering giant Asea Brown Boveri 's board from 1990 to 2001 , a company which sold two light-water nuclear reactors to the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization for installation in North Korea , as part of the 1994 agreed framework reached under President Bill Clinton . Rumsfeld 's office said that he did not " recall it being brought before the board at any time " though '' Fortune '' magazine reported that " board members were informed about this project . " During the 1976 Republican National Convention , Rumsfeld received one vote for Vice President of the United States , although he did not seek the office , and the nomination was easily won by Ford 's choice , Senator Bob Dole . During the 1980 Republican National Convention he also received one vote for Vice President . Economist Milton Friedman later noted that he , Friedman , regarded Reagan 's pick of Bush as " the worst decision not only of his campaign but of his presidency , " and that Rumsfeld was instead his preference . " Had he been chosen , " Friedman said , " I believe he would have succeeded Reagan as president and the sorry Bush-Clinton period would never have occurred . " Rumsfeld briefly sought the Presidential nomination in 1988 , but withdrew from the race before primaries began . During the 1996 election season , he initially formed a presidential exploratory committee , but declined to formally enter the race . He was instead named national chairman for Republican nominee Bob Dole 's campaign
1976 Republican National Convention
1976 Republican National Convention
Donald Rumsfeld