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| United States Secretary of Energy | |
 Official Seal |
|
 Incumbent: Samuel Bodman since: February 1, 2005 |
|
| First | James R. Schlesinger |
|---|---|
| Formation | August 6, 1977 |
| Presidential succession |
Fifteenth |
| Website | www.doe.gov |
The United States Secretary of Energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fifteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Energy on October 1, 1977 by President Jimmy Carter's signing of the Department of Energy Organization Act.[1] The position was originally developed to focus on 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 department's efforts were more often devoted to 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 the 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 holder.[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, Samuel W. Bodman, has held the post since February 1, 2005.
List of Secretaries of Energy
| # | 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 |
References
- 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.
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