Hazel R. O'Leary
Hazel O'Leary | |
---|---|
7th United States Secretary of Energy | |
In office January 22, 1993 – January 20, 1997 | |
President | Bill Clinton |
Deputy | Bill White Charles B. Curtis |
Preceded by | James D. Watkins |
Succeeded by | Federico Peña |
14th President of Fisk University | |
In office July 13, 2004 – January 31, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Carolynn Reid-Wallace |
Succeeded by | James Williams |
Personal details | |
Born | Hazel Reid May 17, 1937 Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Carl Rollins (divorced) Max Robinson (divorced) |
Children | 1 |
Education | Fisk University (BA) Rutgers University, Newark (LLB) |
Hazel Reid O'Leary (born May 17, 1937) is an American lawyer, politician and university administrator who served as the 7th
O'Leary received her bachelor's degree from Fisk before earning her Bachelor of Laws degree from
Early life and education
Hazel Reid was born in
Career
Early career
O'Leary worked as a prosecutor in New Jersey on organized crime cases,
In 1981 O'Leary and her husband established the consulting firm O'Leary & Associates in Morristown, New Jersey, where she served as vice president and general counsel.[7] After Jack died of cancer, Hazel moved to Minnesota.[3] From 1989 to 1993 she worked as an executive vice president of the Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota-based public utilities.[7][8]
Secretary of Energy
In a press conference on December 21, 1992, held in Little Rock, Arkansas, then President-elect Bill Clinton announced his intention to nominate O'Leary as Secretary of Energy.[9] Clinton officially made the nomination on January 20, 1993, and the Senate confirmed O'Leary by unanimous consent the next day.[10][3][11] O'Leary became the first woman and first African American to serve as Secretary of Energy.[12][13] She was also the first Secretary of Energy to have worked for an energy company.[14] At the time she led the Department of Energy, it had an annual budget of $18 billion[15] and approximately 18,000 employees.[16]
O'Leary challenged the way the department had traditionally been run, particularly its focus on developing and testing nuclear weapons. During her tenure, the size of the Department of Energy was reduced by a third. It was also a target for Republicans who wanted it eliminated.[17][16] While reducing the size of the department overall, O'Leary shifted resources toward efficient and renewable energy sources,[18] a priority of the Clinton administration.[16]
In this position, O'Leary won praise for declassifying old Department of Energy documents,
O'Leary also pushed to end nuclear testing in the United States.[12] Her efforts resulted in Clinton signing a test ban on nuclear testing, a ban that other nations joined.[17] Early in her tenure as secretary, O'Leary met with whistle-blowers who said they faced harassment for raising legitimate health and safety issues within the Department of Energy.[4] She announced a "zero tolerance" policy, prohibiting retaliation against whistle-blowers at nuclear plants.[3]
O'Leary repeatedly faced criticism during her tenure. The department allocated $43,500 to a Washington firm to identify unfriendly media outlets. White House Press Secretary Michael D. McCurry called the project "unacceptable."[17] O'Leary claimed the allocation was made without her direct knowledge and defended the research as an attempt to study the efficacy of the department's messaging.[21] A Government Accountability Office audit of travel criticized her for traveling too frequently and spending excessively on accommodations.[22][23] She apologized to Congressional committees in 1996 for spending that exceeded limits on the funds appropriated to the agency for travel.[24]
O'Leary resigned from her position effective January 20, 1997,[25] explaining she did not wish to stay in the job more than four years.[19] In 1997, Johnny Chung, a Democratic political donor, claimed that O'Leary had met with Chinese oil officials after he gave $25,000 to O'Leary's favorite charity, Africare, in 1995.[26] In August of that year, Attorney General Janet Reno reviewed Chung's allegations to decide whether to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate O'Leary.[27] Reno determined there was "no evidence" of wrongdoing by O'Leary and no basis for a further investigation.[26] Some observers, including a lawyer for the Government Accountability Project, saw some fault in O'Leary's conduct but also saw racism and sexism in the way she was treated.[3]
Post-government
After leaving the Clinton administration, O'Leary once again served as president of O'Leary & Associates, her consulting firm.[28] She also sat on the board of the environmental engineering firm ICF Kaiser International.[29] In 2000 she became president and chief operating officer of an investment banking firm, Blaylock & Partners.[28] She left that firm in 2002.[24]
Fisk University president
On July 13, 2004, O'Leary was selected and began work as president of her undergraduate alma mater,
By 2011 Fisk's enrollment numbers improved,[35] but the school was still operating with a loss in six of the previous nine years.[35] These ongoing financial problems caused the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to place Fisk on probation in 2010 over concerns for the university's finances and prospects.[36][37] The probation ended in December 2013.[36]
Under O'Leary's leadership, Fisk went to court in December 2005 seeking a ruling that it could sell a portion of the university's
Amidst the public battle over attempts to sell the Alfred Stieglitz Collection, O'Leary quietly arranged to sell two other works of art, including a work by Florine Stettheimer. Fisk's board of trustees approved the sale in 2010 although it was not publicly disclosed until The New York Times reported it in 2016. O'Leary defended the decision to sell the artwork, saying it was done out of necessity amid financial difficulties.[40]
In 2012 O'Leary announced that she would retire at the end of the calendar year.[41] Her retirement was effective January 31, 2013.[42] She was succeeded by H. James Williams.[43]
Other affiliations
O'Leary has served as a director for Alchemix Corp. and CAMAC International Corporation. She also served on the board of directors for nonprofit organizations such as the Nashville Alliance for Public Education, the Nashville Business Community for the Arts, and the
Personal life
O'Leary has been married three times.[4] Her first marriage to Carl G. Rollins, Jr., ended in divorce. The couple had a son, also named Carl. O'Leary was briefly married to ABC News anchorman Max Robinson. In 1977 she met John F. O'Leary, then Deputy Secretary of Energy.[1] They married on April 24, 1980, and remained married until his death from cancer in 1987.[16][1] Her son is an attorney.[4]
In 1997 O'Leary joined a Presbyterian Church.[3] She is a member of The Links.[44]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Harringon, Linda M. (May 1, 1994). "No Pie In The Sky". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ Finkelman, Paul, ed. (2009). Encyclopedia of African American History Volume 4. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 11.
- ^ from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e L. Haywood, Richette (February 1995). Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. pp. 98, 100.
- ^ Di Vincenzo, Mark (1994-04-04). "High Profile: Hazel O'Leary". dailypress.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-13. Retrieved 2020-06-13.
- ^ ISBN 9780810391772. Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
- ^ a b Stych, Ed (December 22, 1992). "Energy Secretary Candidate Has Experience as Regulator, Executive". The Journal Record. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- ^ Scott, Matthew S. (March 1993). "The New Powers That Be: The Clinton Challenge" Vol. 23, Issue 8". Black Enterprise. Archived from the original on 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
- from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
- ISBN 9781452234304. Archivedfrom the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ^ "PN76-12 - Nomination of Hazel Rollins O'Leary for Department of Energy, 103rd Congress (1993-1994)". www.congress.gov. January 21, 1993. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ a b Letzter, Rafi (December 22, 2016). "Here are the qualifications of all 13 people who served as Secretary of Energy before Rick Perry". Business Insider. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Bittner, Drew (March 17, 2016). "Women @ Energy – Secretary Hazel O'Leary". Energy.gov. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2017.
- ^ "Black Clout in the Clinton Administration" Vol. 48, Issue 7". Ebony. May 1993. Archived from the original on 2017-09-15. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
- ^ a b c d e f Warren, James (November 24, 1996). "Hazel O'Leary's Legacy: Ruffled Feathers, A Good Record". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- ^ Reuter (April 6, 1993). "O'Leary's Revamped Policy Stresses Efficiency, Renewable Energy Sources". www.joc.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ^ "Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30 Issue 3 (Monday, January 24, 1994)". www.gpo.gov. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ^ Thomas, Pierre (January 4, 1996). "Energy Dept. Travel Examined; GAO Audit Cites Lax Accounting for O'Leary Trips to India, S. Africa". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ Lee, Gary (January 5, 1996). "GAO Report Blasts O'Leary On Sloppy Travel Records". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ ISBN 9781438110325.
- ^ "Hazel O'Leary - Collection Finding Aid · Clinton Digital Library". clinton.presidentiallibraries.us. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ^ a b Stout, David (December 3, 1997). "The Attorney General's Decision: The O'Leary Case; Reno Backs Former Energy Secretary's Denials of Wrongdoing". New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ Lacayo, Richard (September 29, 1997). "AllPolitics - Reno Focuses On The President - Sep. 29, 1997". www.cnn.com. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Executive Profile: Hazel O'Leary". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on September 14, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ "Former Energy Secretary Under Scrutiny". www.cnn.com. September 29, 1997. Archived from the original on December 22, 2018. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ "Office of the President". Fisk.edu. Archived from the original on August 2, 2003. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- ^ "Hazel O'Leary, 14th President of Fisk University". fisk.edu. July 13, 2004. Archived from the original on March 6, 2005. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Fisk University at 150: A look back at the past 50 years". The Tennessean. February 15, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
- ^ from the original on February 12, 2017. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
- ^ Tusk Hinton Architects (October 2008). "Fisk University Master Plan" (PDF). www.nashville.gov. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-02-01. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
- ^ a b c Greenberg, Pierce (December 11, 2011). "Financially challenged Fisk will turn to fundraising, students to raise $8.4M by July". nashvillecitypaper.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-08. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Stuart, Reginald (December 10, 2013). "Fisk, Florida A&M Get Clean Bills of Health from Accreditation Group". diverseeducation.com. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ "Hazel O'Leary to Retire From Presidency of Fisk University". jbhe.com. February 20, 2012. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
- ^ a b Brooks, Jennifer (September 2, 2010). "The Root: Can Selling O'Keefe's Art Save A University?". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2012-01-15. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2017.
- ^ a b Tamburin, Adam (July 27, 2016). "Fisk University leaders justify 2010 sale of paintings". The Tennessean. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
- ^ "O'Leary to continue helping Fisk after retirement". Arkansas Online. February 21, 2012. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- ^ Teague, Cass (March 15, 2013). "Remembering O'Leary and her legacy at Fisk University Nashville PRIDE, Inc". pridepublishinggroup.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2017-10-14.
- ^ "Report: Fisk University selects next president". nashvillecitypaper.com. Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
- OCLC 877899803.