It was a capstone to a half century spent in politics and public life. At age 34, Cheney became the youngest White House Chief of Staff in history, running the day-to-day operations for President Gerald Ford. He later represented Wyoming in the House, climbing into the GOP Leadership as a no-nonsense conservative. President George H.W. Bush tapped him to lead the Pentagon, giving him ownership of the first Gulf War and a second toppling the government of Panama.