James R. Schlesinger

James R. Schlesinger
Official portrait
1st United States Secretary of Energy
In office
August 9, 1977 – August 23, 1979
PresidentJimmy Carter
Preceded byJohn F. O'Leary (FEA)
Succeeded byCharles Duncan Jr.
12th United States Secretary of Defense
In office
July 2, 1973 – November 19, 1975[1]
PresidentRichard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Preceded byElliot Richardson
Succeeded byDonald Rumsfeld
9th Director of Central Intelligence
In office
February 2, 1973 – July 2, 1973
PresidentRichard Nixon
DeputyVernon A. Walters
Preceded byRichard Helms
Succeeded byVernon A. Walters (acting)
Chair of the Atomic Energy Commission
In office
August 17, 1971 – January 26, 1973
PresidentRichard Nixon
Preceded byGlenn Seaborg
Succeeded byDixy Lee Ray
Personal details
Born
James Rodney Schlesinger

(1929-02-15)February 15, 1929
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2014(2014-03-27) (aged 85)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Resting placeFerncliff Cemetery, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican[2]
Spouse
Rachel Line Mellinger
(m. 1954; died 1995)
Children8
EducationHarvard University (BA, MA, PhD)

James Rodney Schlesinger (February 15, 1929 – March 27, 2014) was an American economist and public servant who was best known for serving as Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975 under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to becoming Secretary of Defense, he served as Chair of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) from 1971 to 1973, and as CIA Director for a few months in 1973. He became America's first Secretary of Energy under Jimmy Carter in 1977, serving until 1979.

While Secretary of Defense, he opposed amnesty for draft resisters and pressed for development of more sophisticated nuclear weapon systems. Additionally, his support for the A-10 and the lightweight fighter program (later the F-16) helped ensure that they were carried to completion.

  1. ^ "James R. Schlesinger – Richard Nixon / Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office.
  2. ^ "James R. Schlesinger – Richard Nixon / Gerald Ford Administration". Office of the Secretary of Defense – Historical Office. When Jimmy Carter became president in January 1977 he appointed Schlesinger, a Republican, as his special adviser on energy and subsequently as the first head of the new Department of Energy in October 1977.