Hazel R. O'Leary

Hazel Reid O'Leary
7th United States Secretary of Energy
In office January 22, 1993 – January 20, 1997
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	James D. Watkins
Succeeded by	Federico Peña
Born	May 17, 1937 (1937-05-17) (age 72)
Spouse(s)	John F. O'Leary (deceased)
Children	Carl O'Leary
Alma mater	Fisk University Rutgers School of Law-Newark

Hazel Reid O'Leary (born May 17, 1937) was the seventh United States Secretary of Energy, from 1993 to 1997. As of 2009 she is the first and only woman and first and only African American to hold the position.

Early life and education

Born Hazel Reid in Newport News, Virginia, she was the daughter of doctors Russell E. and Hazel Reid. Her sisters are Edna Reid and Marina Morse; they also had brothers Louis and William Morse.

After earning a bachelor's degree at Fisk University in Nashville, O'Leary earned her law degree from Rutgers School of Law—Newark.

Marriage and family

Reid married John F. O'Leary on April 24, 1980. He was the former Deputy Energy Secretary and died in 1987. They had a son Carl together.

Career

O'Leary worked as a prosecutor in New Jersey and was later a partner in the consulting/accounting firm of Coopers & Lybrand. During the Carter Administration, O'Leary was appointed assistant administrator of the Federal Energy Administration, general counsel of the Community Services Administration, and administrator of the Economic Regulatory Administration at the newly created Department of Energy.

In 1981, O'Leary and her husband established the consulting firm of O'Leary & Associates, where she served as vice president and general counsel. From 1989 to 1993, she worked as an executive vice president of the Northern States Power Company.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton nominated O'Leary as Secretary of Energy.

In 2004, O'Leary was selected as President of her undergraduate alma mater, the historically black Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Declassification of U.S. human radiation experiments

She won early plaudits for declassifying Cold War-era records showing that the U.S. Government had used American citizens as guinea pigs in human radiation experiments. This effort was in response to President Clinton's Executive Order 12891, which created the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE).

Political controversy

During O'Leary's term as Secretary of Energy, she was accused of traveling too frequently and spending lavishly on her accommodations.^[1][2] She apologized to Congressional committees in 1996 for spending which exceeded limits on the funds appropriated for travel, and resigned in January 1997.^{[citation needed]}

Democratic political donor Johnny Chung claimed that O'Leary met with Chinese oil officials after Chung had given $25,000 to O'Leary's favorite charity Africare. FBI director Louis Freeh urged an independent investigation of the circumstances. Attorney General Janet Reno determined there was "no evidence" of wrongdoing by O'Leary .^[3][4]

In the black

O'Leary has led a major fundraising effort at Fisk University that has brought the school into the black after years of financial difficulties. She has helped the university recapture its place in competing for top students and financial support, and has attracted outstanding faculty.

References

• Soylent Communications, "Hazel O'Leary" [1]
• "Panel Issues Subpoenas In Fund-Raiser Review", NY Times, August 25, 1997 [2]
• "CONGRESSIONAL LIGHTNING ROD", PBS, JUNE 13, 1996 [3]
• Bio from Daily Press, STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS, July 14, 2004.

v • d • e United States Secretaries of Energy Schlesinger • Duncan • Edwards • Hodel • Herrington • Watkins • O'Leary • Peña • Richardson • Abraham • Bodman • Chu

v • d • e Cabinet of President Bill Clinton (1993 – 2001)   Cabinet Secretary of State Warren Christopher (1993 – 1997) • Madeleine Albright (1997 – 2001) Secretary of the Treasury Lloyd Bentsen (1993 – 1994) • Robert Rubin (1995 – 1999) • Lawrence Summers (1999 – 2001) Secretary of Defense Les Aspin (1993 – 1994) • William Perry (1994 – 1997) • William Cohen (1997 – 2001) Attorney General Janet Reno (1993 – 2001) Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt (1993 – 2001) Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy (1993 – 1994) • Dan Glickman (1994 – 2001) Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown (1993 – 1996) • Mickey Kantor (1996 – 1997) • William Daley (1997 – 2000) • Norman Mineta (2000 – 2001) Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (1993 – 1997) • Alexis Herman (1997 – 2001) Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala (1993 – 2001) Secretary of Education Richard Riley (1993 – 2001) Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Henry Cisneros (1993 – 1997) • Andrew Cuomo (1997 – 2001) Secretary of Transportation Federico Peña (1993 – 1997) • Rodney Slater (1997 – 2001) Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary (1993 – 1997) • Federico Peña (1997 – 1998) • Bill Richardson (1998 – 2001) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown (1993 – 1997) • Togo West (1998 – 2000) • Hershel Gober (acting) (2000 – 2001)   Cabinet-level Vice President Al Gore (1993 – 2001) White House Chief of Staff Mack McLarty (1993 – 1994) • Leon Panetta (1994 – 1997) • Erskine Bowles (1997 – 1998) • John Podesta (1998 – 2001) Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Carol Browner (1993 – 2001) Ambassador to the United Nations Madeleine Korbel Albright (1993 – 1997) • Bill Richardson (1997 – 1998) • Richard Holbrooke (1999 – 2001) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Leon Panetta (1993 – 1994) • Alice Rivlin (1994 – 1996) • Franklin Raines (1996 – 1998) • Jacob Lew (1998 – 2001) Director of National Drug Control Policy Lee Brown (1993 – 1995) • Barry McCaffrey (1996 – 2001) Trade Representative Mickey Kantor (1993 – 1997) • Charlene Barshefsky (1997 – 2001) Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency James Lee Witt (1996 – 2001) Director of Central Intelligence John M. Deutch (1995 – 1996) • George Tenet (1997 - 2001) Administrator of the Small Business Administration Philip Lader (1994 – 1997) • Aída Álvarez (1997 - 2001)