James R. Schlesinger

Known for

Acting

Born

Feb 15, 1929

From

New York City, New York, USA

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.

Images

Credits

NOVA

19747.0out of 10

60 Minutes

19686.5out of 10

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib

20077.1out of 10

The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby

20116.3out of 10

Henry Kissinger: Secrets of a Superpower

20088.0out of 10

The Fall of Saigon

19956.5out of 10

The Energy War

19797.0out of 10

First Strike

19790.0out of 10

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy

20050.0out of 10