Malcolm Baldrige was the 26th United States Secretary of Commerce who played a major role in developing and carrying out trade policy during the Reagan administration. He helped resolve issues with technology transfers with countries like China and India, and held the first Cabinet-level talks with the Soviet Union in seven years. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established after his death in 1987 to recognize excellence in business, healthcare, education, and nonprofits, and is administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The award evaluates organizations based on a framework that defines quality, measures performance management systems, and applies to organizations of any size or industry.