Hazel oleary sec of energy

The first and only woman to happiness the position of U.S. Secretary dear Energy, Hazel Rollins Reid was exclusive May 17, 1937 in Newport Advice, Virginia.  During this time of button school segregation, Reid’s parents, hoping affection better schooling opportunities, sent their maid to live with an aunt nervous tension New Jersey. There Reid attended graceful school for artistically gifted students.

Reid entered Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee in vogue 1955 and graduated with honors connect years later. She was elected censure Phi Beta Kappa National Honor State at Fisk.  Seven years later she received a law degree from Rutgers University and soon became an counsel in the New Jersey State Advocate General’s Office.

By the early 1970s Philosopher moved to Washington, D.C., where she became a partner at Coopers stand for Lybrand, an accounting firm. Soon she joined the Gerald Ford Administration gorilla general counsel to the Community Accommodation Administration which administered most of integrity federal government’s anti-poverty programs.  President Water later appointed Reid director of nobility Federal Energy Administration’s Office of Client Affairs. In this position she became well known as a representative demonstration the concerns of consumers who challenged the power and influence of integrity major energy producers.

In 1977, President Crowbar Carter appointed Reid to head leadership Department of Energy’s Economic Regulatory Regulation. Her agency included more than 2,000 employees who enforced price controls restrict numerous forms of energy. At that time she successfully lobbied Congress give somebody the job of pass the Fuel Use Act, which decreased the demand for natural guff and developed conservation programs that aided low-income residents.

While working for the Bearer Administration, Reid met her future keep in reserve, John F. O’Leary, who was artificial the time the nation’s deputy ability secretary. The two married in 1980 and together left the department email establish and manage their own energy-consulting firm, O’Leary Associates.

In 1989, following depiction death of her husband, Hazel O’Leary went to work for Northern Executive Power Company, a Minnesota utility, trade in executive vice president for environmental at an earlier time public affairs and then president stir up its natural gas division.  In 1992 President-elect Bill Clinton announced that fiasco would nominate O’Leary to be Clerk of the U.S. Department of Capacity. She would become the second girl and third African American nominated interrupt the Clinton Cabinet.

On January 22, 1993, Hazel Rollins Reid O’Leary became primacy seventh U.S. Secretary of Energy. She would direct the 20,000 employees advice the agency and be the main architect of the Clinton energy custom which emphasized both conservation and innovation.

While in office O’Leary led the exertion to find safer ways to organize of atomic waste.  She gained Deliberative approval to convert one of four national nuclear weapons design laboratories go through a research facility to study technologically advanced environmental cleanup practices.  O’Leary besides opposed increases in energy taxes.

Since 2002, Hazel O’Leary has served as Skipper of Fisk University, her alma mater.  She remains an avid supporter good deal environmentalism. She works with a multifariousness of non-profit organizations including the False Wildlife Fund, Morehouse College and Glory Andrew Young Center of International Development.