John Bryson

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John Bryson
37th United States Secretary of Commerce
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 21, 2011
President Barack Obama
Deputy Rebecca Blank (Acting)
Preceded by Rebecca Blank (Acting)
Personal details
Born July 24, 1943 (1943-07-24) (age 68)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political party Democratic Party
Alma mater Stanford University
Yale Law School

John E. Bryson (born July 24, 1943)[1] is the 37th Secretary of Commerce. The Senate confirmed him by a 74–26 vote on October 20, 2011.[2] He was sworn in on October 21, 2011. He is the former Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison.

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[edit] Early life and education

Bryson graduated from Cleveland High School in Portland, Oregon, in 1961.[3] He received his bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1965 and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Yale Law School in 1969.

[edit] Career

In 1970, with other recent Yale Law graduates, Bryson helped found and served as legal counsel for the Natural Resources Defense Council.[4][5]

From 1976 to 1979, Bryson served as chairman of the California State Water Resources Control Board, and from 1979 to 1982, he served as president of the California Public Utilities Commission.

Bryson led Edison International from 1990 until his retirement on July 31, 2008, and was succeeded by Ted Craver.[6]

Bryson was a director of The Boeing Company, W. M. Keck Foundation, and The Walt Disney Company, and a former Director/Trustee for three Western Asset Management funds at Legg Mason. He serves or has served on a number of educational, environmental and other nonprofit boards, including chairman of the California Business Roundtable, a trustee of Stanford University, a trustee of California Institute of Technology, co-chairman of the Pacific Council on International Policy, and chairman of the Public Policy Institute of California.[7][8]

[edit] Nomination to be Commerce Secretary

On May 31, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Bryson to succeed Gary Locke as the United States Secretary of Commerce.[9] Citing Bryson's environmental views, U.S. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) put a hold on his nomination in July.[10]

The Senate later reached a unanimous consent agreement to vote on Bryson's nomination, and the Senate confirmed Bryson by a 74–26 vote on October 20, 2011. He was sworn in on October 21, 2011, becoming the 37th Secretary of the Department of Commerce.[11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Civic offices
Preceded by
Vernon Sturgeon
President of the Public Utilities Commission of California
1979–1982
Succeeded by
Leonard Grimes
Business positions
Preceded by
Howard Allen
Chief Executive Officer of Edison International
1990–2008
Succeeded by
Theodore Craver
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
Warren Christopher
Chairperson of Pacific Council on International Policy
2008–2011
Served alongside: Robert Tuttle
Succeeded by
TBD
Political offices
Preceded by
Rebecca Blank
Acting
United States Secretary of Commerce
2011–present
Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Tom Vilsack
as Secretary of Agriculture
Order of Precedence of the United States
as Secretary of Commerce
Succeeded by
Hilda Solis
as Secretary of Labor
United States presidential line of succession
Preceded by
Tom Vilsack
as Secretary of Agriculture
10th in line
as Secretary of Commerce
Succeeded by
Hilda Solis
as Secretary of Labor
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