Hazel R. O'Leary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hazel O'Leary
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| 7th United States Secretary of Energy | |
| In office January 22, 1993 – January 20, 1997 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Deputy | Bill White Charles B. Curtis |
| Preceded by | James D. Watkins |
| Succeeded by | Federico Peña |
| 14th President of Fisk University | |
| In office July 13, 2004 – January 31, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Carolynn Reid-Wallace |
| Succeeded by | James Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Hazel Reid
May 17, 1937 Newport News, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Carl Rollins (divorced) Max Robinson (divorced) John O'Leary
(m. 1980; died 1987) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Fisk University (BA) Rutgers University, Newark (LLB) |
Hazel Reid O'Leary (born May 17, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician. She served as the 7th United States Secretary of Energy from 1993 to 1997. She was the first woman and first African American to hold this important job.
After her time in government, O'Leary became the 14th president of Fisk University. This is a historically black college where she had studied herself. She led Fisk University from 2004 to 2013. During her time there, she helped the school through financial challenges. She also increased student enrollment.
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Early life and education
Hazel Reid was born in Newport News, Virginia. Her parents were both doctors. They divorced when she was very young. Hazel and her older sister, Edna, were raised by their father and stepmother. Her stepmother was a teacher.
Hazel went to segregated schools in Newport News for eight years. Later, she and her sister moved to New Jersey. There, they attended an integrated school called Arts High School.
She earned her first degree from Fisk University in Nashville in 1959. After getting married and having a son, she went back to school. She earned her law degree from Rutgers Law School in 1966.
Career journey
Early career steps
O'Leary started her career as a prosecutor in New Jersey. She worked on cases involving organized crime. Later, she became an assistant attorney general for the state.
In 1969, O'Leary moved to Washington, D.C. She joined a consulting and accounting firm. During the Carter administration, she joined the government. She worked in the new United States Department of Energy. There, she met John F. O'Leary, who was a Deputy Secretary. They got married in 1980.
After President Carter's term ended, O'Leary and her husband started their own consulting firm. After her husband passed away in 1987, she moved to Minnesota. From 1989 to 1993, she worked as an executive for a power company.
Leading the Department of Energy
In December 1992, President-elect Bill Clinton announced he would choose O'Leary. He wanted her to be the United States Secretary of Energy. The United States Senate approved her nomination very quickly.
O'Leary made history as the first woman and first African American to be Secretary of Energy. She was also the first person in that role who had worked for an energy company. The Department of Energy had a large budget and many employees.
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O'Leary wanted to change how the department worked. She focused less on nuclear weapons. She reduced the size of the department by one-third. She also shifted resources to focus on clean and renewable energy. This was a goal of the Clinton administration.
One of her most important actions was making old government documents public. These documents showed that the U.S. government had secretly tested radiation on American citizens. This had been rumored for a long time. President Clinton created a committee to prevent such things from happening again. O'Leary also announced payments to families affected by these past experiments.
She also pushed to stop nuclear testing in the United States. Her efforts led President Clinton to sign a ban on nuclear testing. Other countries joined this ban. O'Leary also created a "zero tolerance" policy. This policy protected employees who reported safety concerns at nuclear plants.
O'Leary did face some criticism during her time in office. She was criticized for spending too much on international trips. She apologized to Congress for this in 1996.
She left her position on January 20, 1997. She said she did not want to stay in the job for more than four years. Later, there were questions about some meetings she had. However, an investigation found "no evidence" of any wrongdoing by O'Leary.
After government service
After leaving the government, O'Leary returned to her consulting firm. She also served on the boards of different companies. In 2000, she became president of an investment banking firm.
President of Fisk University
On July 13, 2004, O'Leary became the president of Fisk University. This was her old college in Nashville, Tennessee. She was officially installed as the university's 14th president in 2005.
Before O'Leary arrived, Fisk University had financial problems. It also struggled to get more students. Under her leadership, student enrollment improved. However, the school still faced financial challenges.
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To help the university, O'Leary tried to sell some of its valuable art collection. The art was given to Fisk with rules about selling it. She wanted to use the money to build new buildings and help the school's finances. After many years of legal discussions, Fisk was able to share the collection with another museum. O'Leary said this agreement was very important for keeping the university open.
She also quietly arranged to sell two other artworks. She defended these sales, saying they were necessary because of the financial difficulties.
In 2012, O'Leary announced she would retire. Her retirement became official on January 31, 2013.
Other activities
O'Leary has been a director for several companies. She has also served on the boards of many nonprofit groups. These include organizations focused on education, arts, and international development.
Personal life
O'Leary has been married three times. Her first marriage ended in divorce. She has one son, Carl, who became an attorney. She was briefly married to news anchorman Max Robinson. In 1980, she married John F. O'Leary. They were married until his death in 1987.
In 1997, O'Leary joined a Presbyterian Church. She is also a member of The Links, a community service organization.
Images for kids
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Left to right: Secretary of Energy Hazel R. O'Leary, John S. Foster, President Bill Clinton, and Mrs. John Foster
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O'Leary speaks on September 24, 2013, at the Minorities in Energy Initiative Launch.
See also
In Spanish: Hazel R. O'Leary para niños
- List of African-American United States Cabinet members
- List of female United States Cabinet members
