Samuel Bodman

{{short description|American businessman, engineer, and politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Sam Bodman

| image = Samuel Bodman.jpg

| office = 11th United States Secretary of Energy

| president = George W. Bush

| term_start = January 31, 2005

| term_end = January 20, 2009

| predecessor = Spencer Abraham

| successor = Steven Chu

| office1 = United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury

| president1 = George W. Bush

| term_start1 = August 2004

| term_end1 = January 31, 2005

| predecessor1 = Kenneth W. Dam

| successor1 = Robert Kimmitt

| office2 = United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce

| president2 = George W. Bush

| term_start2 = January 22, 2001

| term_end2 = July 16, 2004

| predecessor2 = Robert Mallett

| successor2 = Theodore Kassinger

| birth_name = Samuel Wright Bodman III

| birth_date = {{birth date|1938|11|26}}

| birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|9|7|1938|11|26}}

| death_place = El Paso, Texas, U.S.

| party = Republican

| spouse = Diane Petrella Barber

| education = Cornell University (BS)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS, DSc)

| caption = Official portrait, 2005

}}

Samuel Wright Bodman III (born November 26, 1938 – September 7, 2018) was an American businessman, engineer, and politician who served as the 11th United States secretary of energy during the George W. Bush administration, from 2005 to 2009. He was also, at different times, the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury and the Deputy Secretary of Commerce.

In December 2004, Bodman was nominated to replace Spencer Abraham as the Energy Secretary and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on January 31, 2005. During his tenure, he oversaw the security problems at Los Alamos National Laboratory and a budget in excess of $23 billion and over 100,000 federal and contractor employees.

Early life and education

Bodman was born on November 26, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lina (Lindsay) and Samuel Wright Bodman.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7g1LAQAAIAAJ&q=%22BODMAN.+SAMUEL+WRIGHT.+lll.%22|title=Samuel Wright Bodman|year=2008|isbn=9780837957685|access-date=September 7, 2018|last1=Who |first1=Marquis Who's |publisher=Marquis Who's Who }} Bodman spent his early years in the Chicago suburbs before he graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.{{cite web|url=https://energy.utexas.edu/about/advisory-board/samuel-bodman|title=Samuel Bodman|publisher=The University of Texas at Austin|access-date=September 7, 2018}} He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity and the Sphinx Head Society.{{cite web|url=http://alphasigmaphi.org/cornell-university|title=Cornell University|work=Alpha Sigma Phi HQ |access-date=September 7, 2018|publisher=Alpha Sigma Phi}}

In 1965, he completed his Doctor of Science in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.{{cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/bodman-bio.html|title=Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy|publisher=George Bush White House|access-date=September 7, 2018}}

Career

Bodman served as an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT and began his work in the financial sector as Technical Director of the American Research and Development Corporation, a venture capital firm.

From there, Bodman went to Fidelity Venture Associates, a division of the Fidelity Investments. In 1983 he was named President and Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity Investments and a Director of the Fidelity Group of Mutual Funds. In 1987, he joined Cabot Corporation,{{Cite web |title=Samuel W. Bodman, Secretary of Energy |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/bodman-bio.html |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov}} a Boston-based Fortune 300 company with global business activities in specialty chemicals and materials, where he served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and a Director.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/dfw/news/former-energy-secretary-samuel-bodman-dies/|title=Former Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman Dies|date=September 7, 2018|publisher=CBS|access-date=September 7, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/news/former-energy-secretary-samuel-bodman-dies/tVK5HQbSytmDVPdlSKXSHK/|title=Former Energy Secretary Bodman Dies at 79|work=ajc |access-date=September 7, 2018}}

Bodman was a past director of M.I.T.'s School of Engineering Practice and a onetime member of the M.I.T. Commission on Education. He also was as a member of the Executive and Investment Committees at M.I.T., a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and a Trustee of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the New England Aquarium.

He was also a past director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.

Bush Administration

Bodman served as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in the George W. Bush Administration beginning in February 2004. He also served the Bush Administration as the Deputy Secretary of Commerce beginning in 2001.

On December 10, 2004, Bodman was nominated to replace Spencer Abraham as the United States Secretary of Energy and was confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on January 31, 2005, taking office the next day.{{cite web|url=https://www.energy.gov/articles/bodman-sworn-11th-secretary-energy|title=Bodman Sworn in as 11th Secretary of Energy|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy|access-date=September 7, 2018}} He led the Department of Energy with a budget in excess of $23 billion and over 100,000 federal and contractor employees.{{cite web|url=https://www.energy.gov/articles/president-bush-requests-25-billion-us-department-energys-fy-2009-budget|title=President Bush Requests $25 Billion for U.S. Department of Energy's FY 2009 Budget|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy|access-date=September 7, 2018}}

In February 2007, Bodman testified before the United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces about security problems at Los Alamos National Laboratory.{{cite web|url=https://www.nti.org/gsn/article/bodman-blames-scientists-for-problems-at-los-alamos/|title=Bodman Blames Scientists For Problems at Los Alamos|publisher=NTI.org|access-date=September 7, 2018}} He stated that "The heart of the problem is a cultural issue at Los Alamos". He asserted that the impediment to improved security was "Arrogance. Arrogance of the chemists and physicists and engineers who work at Los Alamos and think they’re above it all"."Bodman Blames Scientists For Problems at Los Alamos", Jon Fox, Global Security Newswire, Feb. 2007.

Personal life

Bodman married M. Diane (Petrella) Barber in 1997. He had three children, two stepchildren, and eight grandchildren.{{cite web | title = Department of Energy biography | url=https://www.energy.gov/organization/samuel_bodman.htm | access-date = February 2, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080611071955/http://www.energy.gov/organization/samuel_bodman.htm |archive-date = June 11, 2008}}

Bodman died in El Paso on September 7, 2018, at the age of 79.{{cite web|url=https://www.energy.gov/articles/samuel-w-bodman-11th-secretary-energy-passes-away|title=Statement from Secretary Perry on the passing of Samuel W. Bodman|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy|access-date=September 7, 2018}} The cause of death was reported to be complications from primary progressive aphasia.[https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2018/09/08/samuel-bodman-former-fidelity-executive-served-energy-secretary/DZsGKROfSqZQ1qlYHlvm6O/story.html Samuel W. Bodman, 79; former Fidelity executive served as US energy secretary] His death was announced by former president George W. Bush on the same day.[https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/09/07/us/politics/ap-us-obit-bodman.html Former Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman Dies]{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/samuel-w-bodman-energy-secretary-under-george-w-bush-dies-at-79/2018/09/08/d0b70de0-b378-11e8-aed9-001309990777_story.html |title=Samuel W. Bodman, energy secretary under George W. Bush, dies at 79 |date=2018-09-08 |newspaper=The Washington Post |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}

Notes

External links

{{C-SPAN}}

=General=

[https://web.archive.org/web/20050512083859/http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/Sam_Bodman.php Samuel Bodman's political donations]

=Articles by Samuel Bodman=

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312131848/http://www.worldenergysource.com/articles/text/bodman_WE_v9n2.cfm World Energy Magazine - Meeting the Need for Affordable and Reliable Electricity]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312131918/http://www.worldenergysource.com/articles/text/bodman_WE_v8n3.cfm World Energy Magazine - The New Energy Bill: Fueling America's Energy Security]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312131940/http://www.worldenergysource.com/articles/text/bodman_WE_v9n1.cfm World Energy Magazine - The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership: A Roadmap to Energy Security]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070312131928/http://www.worldenergysource.com/articles/text/bodman_WE_v8n4.cfm World Energy Magazine - Mutual Needs Fuel Cooperative Efforts Between the United States and Africa]

{{s-ttl|title=United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury|years=August 2004–January 2005}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce|years=2001–2004}}

{{s-ttl|title=United States Secretary of Energy|years=2005–2009}}

Category:1938 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:21st-century United States government officials

Category:American chemical engineers

Category:American chief executives of materials companies

Category:American chief operating officers

Category:Businesspeople from Chicago

Category:Cornell University College of Engineering alumni

Category:DuPont people