Samuel Wright Bodman III (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. Bodman spent his early years in the Chicago suburbs before he graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. He was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity and the Sphinx Head Society.

In 1965, he completed his Doctor of Science in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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. 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.

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 led the Department of Energy with a budget in excess of $23 billion and over 100,000 federal and contractor employees.

In February 2007, Bodman testified before the United States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces about security problems at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He stated that "The heart of the problem is a cultural issue at Los Alamos".

Personal life

Bodman married M. Diane (Petrella) Barber in 1997.

Bodman died in El Paso on September 7, 2018, at the age of 79. The cause of death was reported to be complications from primary progressive aphasia. His death was announced by former president George W. Bush on the same day.

Notes

General

  • Samuel Bodman's political donations

Articles by Samuel Bodman

  • World Energy Magazine - Meeting the Need for Affordable and Reliable Electricity
  • World Energy Magazine - The New Energy Bill: Fueling America's Energy Security
  • World Energy Magazine - The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership: A Roadmap to Energy Security
  • World Energy Magazine - Mutual Needs Fuel Cooperative Efforts Between the United States and Africa

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