James R. Schlesinger, the first U.S. Secretary of Energy and current co-chair of the Defense Science Board study of the Department of Defense energy strategy, will speak at 6 p.m. tonight (March 21) at the Lyric Theater in downtown Blacksburg.

Schlesinger's appearance is one in a series of presentations being sponsored by the Virginia Tech Deans’ Task Force on the Environment . and the Deans’ Task Force on Energy Security and Sustainability.

As secretary of energy in the Carter administration (1977-79), Schlesinger launched the Department of Energy's Carbon Dioxide Effects and Assessment Program.

Before assuming his energy leadership role, Schlesinger taught economics at the University of Virginia (1955-63) and then was a specialist in strategic studies at the Rand Corp (1963-69). He formulated the Bureau of the Budget's energy policy in 1969. His concern for the environment played a role in his appointment as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (1971-73). However, he became a controversial figure when he allowed atomic tests to continue. After briefly directing the Central Intelligence Agency (1973), he became secretary of defense (1973-75) under President Nixon.

Schlesinger is currently a senior advisor to Lehman Brothers, a global finance firm, and counselor and trustee to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He chairs the board of trustees of MITRE Corporation, and serves as a director of BNFL, Inc., Peabody Energy, and Sandia Corporation.

“The Deans’ Task Forces launched a robust exchange with the Forum on Energy Security and Sustainability and the Energy Showcase last fall, and the Environmental Forum on Feb. 26. We want to keep that dialogue going,” said Brad Fenwick, Virginia Tech vice president for research.

Hans B. (Teddy) Püttgen, director of the Energy Center at Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL)--the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology--will speak on Friday, April 13, as the final speaker in the series.

For more information, contact Ben Sovacool at sovacool@vt.edu or (540) 231-5196.

Contact:

Share this story