Pete Geren facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pete Geren
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Official portrait, 2007
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| 20th United States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office March 9, 2007 – September 21, 2009 |
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| President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
| Preceded by | Francis J. Harvey |
| Succeeded by | John M. McHugh |
| United States Under Secretary of the Army | |
| In office February 21, 2006 – July 23, 2007 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Raymond F. DuBois |
| Succeeded by | Nelson M. Ford |
| Acting United States Secretary of the Air Force | |
| In office June 29, 2005 – November 4, 2005 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Michael L. Dominguez |
| Succeeded by | Michael Wynne |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 12th district |
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| In office September 12, 1989 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Wright |
| Succeeded by | Kay Granger |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Preston Murdoch Geren III
January 29, 1952 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Beckie Ray |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Preston Geren Sr. (grandfather) Preston Geren Jr. (father) Charlie Geren (brother) |
| Education | University of Texas at Austin (BA, JD) |
Preston "Pete" Murdoch Geren III (born January 29, 1952) is an American lawyer and politician. He served as the 20th United States Secretary of the Army from 2007 to 2009. Before that, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Texas. He is part of the Democratic Party. Today, he is the president of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas. He also serves on the board of trustees for the Institute for Defense Analyses.
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Early Life and Education
Pete Geren was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He went to Georgia Tech from 1970 to 1973. There, he played football as a starting center.
He later earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas in 1974. In 1978, he received his Juris Doctor (JD) from the University of Texas School of Law. A Juris Doctor is a law degree, which means he studied to become a lawyer.
His older brother, Charlie Geren, is also a politician. Charlie is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives.
Public Service Career
Before working in government, Pete Geren was a lawyer and businessman in Fort Worth. From 1983 to 1985, he worked as an assistant for U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas.
Serving in Congress
From 1989 to 1997, Geren served four terms in the United States House of Representatives. This is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress. He was first elected in a special election. He took the place of former Speaker of the House Jim Wright. The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House of Representatives.
Geren won re-election three more times. However, he decided not to run again in 1996. Kay Granger took his place in Congress.
While in Congress, Pete Geren helped create the term "Blue Dog Democrat." This term was used for a group of moderate and conservative Democrats in Congress. They formed a group called the Blue Dog Coalition. Geren said these members felt "choked blue" by more "extreme" Democrats. The name is similar to "Yellow Dog Democrat," which meant someone so loyal to the Democratic Party they would vote for any Democrat.
Working for Defense
In September 2001, Geren joined the Department of Defense. This department manages the U.S. military. He worked as a Special Assistant to the United States Secretary of Defense. His job involved working with different government groups and helping with laws.
On July 29, 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Geren as the acting United States Secretary of the Air Force. He held this position until November 2005.
Geren then became the 28th United States Under Secretary of the Army. He started this role on February 21, 2006. As the Undersecretary, Geren was the second-highest civilian leader in the Army. He helped and advised the Secretary of the Army. He also acted as Secretary when the main Secretary was not available.
Leading the Army
In March 2007, Defense Secretary Robert Gates named Geren as the Acting Secretary of the United States Army. This happened after the previous Secretary, Francis J. Harvey, resigned amidst a situation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
On July 16, 2007, the United States Senate confirmed Geren as the official Secretary of the Army. This means the Senate approved his appointment. As Secretary, he was the top civilian leader for the Army. On August 30, 2007, Geren created a special group. This group was called the Commission on Army Acquisition and Program Management in Expeditionary Operations. It was set up to look into how the Army handled contracts during military operations.
After Government Service
Since 2011, Pete Geren has been the president and CEO of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation. This foundation is located in Fort Worth, Texas.
See Also
- List of U.S. political appointments that crossed party lines
