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United States Secretary of Energy

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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.

List of Secretaries of Energy

The first Secretary of Energy, James Schlesinger
Hazel O'Leary, the first woman and African-American to hold the position
File:Federico pena.JPG
Federico Peña, the first Hispanic Secretary of Energy
Spencer Abraham, Secretary from 2001 to 2005
Current Secretary, Samuel W. Bodman
# Name Portrait Took Office Left Office President served under
1 James R. Schlesinger File:Secretary schlesinger.jpg 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 File:Secretary hodel.jpg November 5 1982 February 7 1985 Ronald Reagan
5 John S. Herrington February 7 1985 January 20 1989 Ronald Reagan
6 James D. Watkins File:Secretary watkins.jpg March 1 1989 January 20 1993 George H. W. Bush
7 Hazel R. O'Leary File:Secretary oleary.jpg January 22 1993 January 20 1997 Bill Clinton
8 Federico Peña File:Secretary pena.jpg March 12 1997 June 30, 1998 Bill Clinton
9 Bill Richardson File:Secretary richardson.jpg 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

References

General
  • "Official site of U.S. Department of Energy". U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  • "Secretaries of Energy". U.S. Department of Energy. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
Specific
  1. ^ "Origins". Department of Energy. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
  2. ^ "The Clinton Administration". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
  3. ^ "Biography of James Schlesinger Origins". Department of Defense. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  4. ^ "President Hazel R. O'Leary Honored by Urban League". Fisk University. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  5. ^ "Federico F. Peña to be Sworn in as the Eighth Secretary of Energy". Department of Energy. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  6. ^ "Los Alamos Ally Gets Top DOE Post". Sciencemag.org. Retrieved 2007-08-13.

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