Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
United States Secretary of Energy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The United States Secretary of Energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy and is a member of the President's Cabinet, fifteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Energy on October 1, 1977, after the signing of the Department of Energy Organization Act by President Jimmy Carter.[1] The position was originally developed to be concerned with energy production and regulation. During the 1980s, the emphasis shifted to development of technology for better, more efficient energy sources as well as education regarding energy. As the Cold War ended, the secretary's tasks evolved more into nuclear waste disposal and maintenance of environmental quality.[2]
The first Secretary of Energy was former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger, a Republican nominated to the post by Democratic President Jimmy Carter, the only time a president has appointed someone of another party to the post. Schlesinger was also the only secretary to be dismissed from his post.[3] Bill Clinton's first Secretary of Energy, Hazel R. O'Leary, was the longest to hold the position, as well as its first female and African-American.[4] Clinton also named Federico Peña to the post, the first Hispanic to hold the position.[5] Bill Richardson, who succeeded Peña, was the second Hispanic to hold the position and later became Governor of New Mexico.[6] The current secretary is Samuel W. Bodman, having held the post since February 1, 2005.
| # | Name | Portrait | Took Office | Left Office | President served under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James R. Schlesinger |  |
August 6, 1977 | August 23, 1979 | Jimmy Carter |
| 2 | Charles W. Duncan, Jr. |  |
August 24, 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| 3 | James B. Edwards |  |
January 23, 1981 | November 5, 1982 | Ronald Reagan |
| 4 | Donald Paul Hodel |  |
November 5, 1982 | February 7, 1985 | Ronald Reagan |
| 5 | John S. Herrington |  |
February 7, 1985 | January 20, 1989 | Ronald Reagan |
| 6 | James D. Watkins |  |
March 1, 1989 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| 7 | Hazel R. O'Leary |  |
January 22, 1993 | January 20, 1997 | Bill Clinton |
| 8 | Federico Peña |  |
March 12, 1997 | June 30, 1998 | Bill Clinton |
| 9 | Bill Richardson |  |
August 18, 1998 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton |
| 10 | Spencer Abraham |  |
January 20, 2001 | February 1, 2005 | George W. Bush |
| 11 | Samuel W. Bodman |  |
February 1, 2005 | Present | George W. Bush |
- General
- Official site of U.S. Department of Energy. U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Secretaries of Energy. U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- Specific
- ^ Origins. Department of Energy. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ The Clinton Administration. Washington Post. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ Biography of James Schlesinger Origins. Department of Defense. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ President Hazel R. O'Leary Honored by Urban League. Fisk University. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ Federico F. Peña to be Sworn in as the Eighth Secretary of Energy. Department of Energy. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
- ^ Los Alamos Ally Gets Top DOE Post. Sciencemag.org. Retrieved on 2007-08-13.
|
|
|---|
| Agriculture • Commerce • Defense • Education • Energy • Health and Human Services • Homeland Security • Housing and Urban Development • Interior • Justice • Labor • State • Transportation • Treasury • Veterans Affairs
Past department leaders: Commerce and Labor • Health, Education, and Welfare • Navy • Post Office • War |
