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 Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Texas. Today, he leads the Sid W. Richardson Foundation in Fort Worth, Texas. He also helps guide the Institute for Defense Analyses.
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Early Life and Education
Pete Geren was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on January 29, 1952. He went to Georgia Tech from 1970 to 1973. There, he played football as the starting center.
He later earned his first degree from the University of Texas in 1974. He then got his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1978. His older brother, Charlie Geren, is also a politician in Texas.
Pete Geren's Career Journey
Before working in government, Pete Geren was a lawyer and businessman in Fort Worth. From 1983 to 1985, he worked as an aide for U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Pete Geren served four terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1997. He was first elected in a special election. This election was held to find a replacement for former Speaker of the House Jim Wright.
Geren won three more elections after that. However, he decided not to run again in 1996. Kay Granger took his place in Congress.
While in Congress, Geren helped create the term "Blue Dog Democrat." This name was used by a group of moderate and conservative Democrats. Geren said these members felt "choked blue" by more extreme Democrats. This term is similar to "Yellow Dog Democrat," which described very loyal Southern Democrats.
Working for the Department of Defense
In September 2001, Geren joined the Department of Defense. He became a special assistant to the Defense Secretary. His job included working on projects between different government agencies and with lawmakers.
In 2005, President George W. Bush named Geren the acting United States Secretary of the Air Force. He held this role until November 2005.
Later, on February 21, 2006, Geren became the 28th United States Under Secretary of the Army. This made him the Army's second-highest civilian leader. He helped the Secretary of the Army and acted as Secretary when needed.
In March 2007, Geren was named Acting Secretary of the United States Army. This happened after the previous Secretary resigned during a challenging time for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. On July 16, 2007, the Senate officially confirmed Geren as Secretary of the Army. He worked to improve things, for example, by setting up a special commission to look into Army contracts.
Later Life and Current Role
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
