Rex Tillerson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rex Tillerson
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Official portrait, 2017
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| 69th United States Secretary of State | |
| In office February 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | John Sullivan |
| Preceded by | John Kerry |
| Succeeded by | Mike Pompeo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rex Wayne Tillerson
March 23, 1952 Wichita Falls, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Texas at Austin (BS) |
| Awards | Eagle Scout (1965) Order of Friendship (2013) Dewhurst Award (2017) |
| Signature |  |
Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American businessman and former government official. He served as the 69th United States Secretary of State from 2017 to 2018 under President Donald Trump. Before this, he was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of ExxonMobil, a very large energy company, from 2006 to 2016.
Tillerson started his career at Exxon in 1975 as a civil engineer. He moved up through different roles in the company. By 2006, he became the head of ExxonMobil, which was one of the world's largest companies. He retired from ExxonMobil in 2017.
He has also been a dedicated volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America for many years. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout when he was young. From 2010 to 2012, he was the national president of the Boy Scouts, which is their highest non-executive position.
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Early Life and Education
Rex Tillerson was born on March 23, 1952. His parents were Patty Sue and Bobby Joe Tillerson. He was named after famous cowboy actors Rex Allen and John Wayne. He grew up in different towns in Texas and Oklahoma.
Tillerson's father was also involved with the Boy Scouts of America. This led to Rex being very active in Scouting throughout his life. He earned the highest rank, Eagle Scout, which shows great achievement and leadership.
When he was 14, he started working small jobs like clearing tables at a university and picking cotton on weekends. He also worked as a janitor. These jobs taught him about hard work from a young age.
He graduated from Huntsville High School in 1970. He was a talented musician in his high school band, playing the kettle drums and snare drum. He received a scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. In 1975, he earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the university.
Business Career at ExxonMobil
Starting at Exxon
Tillerson began working for Exxon Company USA in 1975 as an engineer. He quickly moved up in the company. By 1989, he was a general manager. In 1995, he became president of Exxon's operations in Yemen and Thailand.
In 1998, he became a vice president for Exxon's projects in Russia and the Caspian Sea region. He helped Exxon join a big oil project called Sakhalin-I with a Russian company.
Leading ExxonMobil
In 1999, Exxon and Mobil merged to form ExxonMobil. Tillerson became an executive vice president. In 2004, he became president and a director of the company. This meant he was likely to become the next CEO.
On January 1, 2006, Tillerson was chosen as the chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil. At that time, ExxonMobil was a huge company with 80,000 employees and business in nearly 200 countries. It made billions of dollars in revenue each year.
Under Tillerson's leadership, ExxonMobil worked closely with countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, which are major oil producers. In 2009, ExxonMobil bought XTO Energy, a large natural gas company, for $31 billion. This deal was a big part of Tillerson's time as CEO.
Tillerson retired from ExxonMobil on January 1, 2017, just before becoming Secretary of State.
Connections with Russia
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As the CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson had strong connections with Russia and its President, Vladimir Putin. They had known each other since Tillerson worked on Exxon's projects in Russia. He helped create a partnership between Exxon and Rosneft, Russia's state-owned oil company.
Some people said Tillerson had spent more time with Vladimir Putin than almost any other American, except for Henry Kissinger. Tillerson was also friends with Igor Sechin, the head of Rosneft.
In 2011, Tillerson and Sechin signed a huge agreement between ExxonMobil and Rosneft to drill for oil in the Arctic Ocean. This deal was worth hundreds of billions of dollars. In 2013, Putin gave Tillerson the Order of Friendship award for his work in developing energy cooperation.
Other Activities and Interests
Tillerson has been a trustee for important groups like the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He was also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
Boy Scouts of America
Tillerson has been a dedicated volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for most of his life. He often said that his achievements in Scouting were a highlight of his youth. From 2010 to 2012, he served as the national president of the BSA.
After his term as president, he remained on the BSA's National Executive Board. He played a key role in the board's decision in 2013 to allow openly gay youth to become members. This was a big change for the organization.
Secretary of State (2017–2018)
Becoming Secretary of State
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Rex Tillerson was first suggested for the role of Secretary of State by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. President-elect Donald Trump formally nominated him for the position.
The United States Senate confirmed Tillerson as Secretary of State on February 1, 2017. He was sworn in on the same day by Vice President Mike Pence.
His Time in Office
As Secretary of State, Tillerson was the chief diplomat for the United States. He traveled to many countries to meet with foreign leaders and discuss important global issues.
His first trip was to Germany in February 2017, where he met with foreign ministers from many countries. He urged Russia to withdraw from eastern Ukraine and reaffirmed U.S. support for South Korea and Japan.
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In March 2017, he visited Japan, South Korea, and China. He talked about North Korea's nuclear program and said that past diplomatic efforts had "failed." He also mentioned that the U.S. might need to take action if North Korea's threats increased.
Tillerson also met with leaders from Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. He worked to improve relationships and address challenges in different parts of the world.
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He tried to make the Department of State more efficient. However, some people felt that his changes caused low morale among career diplomats.
In November 2017, Tillerson stated that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Myanmar was "ethnic cleansing."
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Dismissal
Tillerson's relationship with President Trump became difficult over time. They had different ideas on some policies. On March 13, 2018, President Trump announced that Tillerson would be replaced. Tillerson formally left office on March 31, 2018.
He was replaced by Mike Pompeo, who was the director of the CIA at the time. Tillerson served for 423 days, making him one of the shortest-serving Secretaries of State in modern history.
Political Views
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Tillerson had several important views on foreign policy and other issues:
- He believed the United States should stay in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement and the Paris climate accord.
- He took a firm stance on Russia, but also wanted to build trust.
- He supported negotiations to solve the crisis with North Korea.
- He believed the U.S. should continue to follow the Iran nuclear deal.
- He aimed to reassure U.S. allies around the world.
Climate Change and Energy
Tillerson acknowledged that human activities affect the climate. He also believed that fossil fuels would continue to be important for the world's energy needs. He once said that making fossil fuels more available could save many lives by helping poor communities.
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Free Trade
Tillerson was a strong supporter of free trade. He believed that a global free market for energy was the best way to ensure energy security for the U.S. He thought it would help develop resources, diversify supplies, and encourage new ideas.
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Education
In 2013, Tillerson wrote an article supporting Common Core, which is a set of educational standards for schools in the U.S.
Personal Life
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Rex Tillerson has been married twice. He has twin sons from his first marriage. In 1986, he married Renda St. Clair, who had a son from a previous marriage. They also have a son together. His twin sons are engineers.
Tillerson lives in Texas. After becoming Secretary of State, he also bought a home in Washington, D.C. He is a member of a Christian church called the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.
In 2015, Forbes magazine named Tillerson the 25th-most-powerful person in the world.
See also
In Spanish: Rex Tillerson para niños
