Robert B. Pirie Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert B. Pirie Jr.
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Robert Pirie, circa 2001
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| Born | September 10, 1933 San Diego, California |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Navy | |
| Rank | United States Secretary of the Navy (Acting) |
| Commands held | USS Skipjack |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy (BS) University of Oxford (BA, MA) |
| Relations | Robert B. Pirie (father) |
Robert Burns Pirie Jr. was born on September 10, 1933. He is a retired officer from the United States Navy. He also worked in government and politics. In early 2001, he served as the temporary leader of the Navy. This role is called the Acting Secretary of the Navy. He held this important job until President George W. Bush chose someone else.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Pirie Jr. was born in San Diego, California. His father, also named Robert B. Pirie, was a naval aviator. His father retired from the Navy as a vice admiral, which is a very high rank.
Pirie Jr. grew up in Wymore, Nebraska. He went to high school at Severn School in Maryland. He graduated from there in 1950.
After high school, he attended Princeton University for one year. Then, he was accepted into the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree. While at the Academy, he played on the lacrosse team.
Pirie Jr. was also a Rhodes Scholar. This special scholarship allowed him to study at Oxford University in England. He studied there from 1956 to 1959. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and later completed a Master of Arts degree in 1979.
Robert Pirie Jr. served in the Navy for 20 years. He was a naval officer. His most important role was commanding a nuclear attack submarine. This submarine was called the Skipjack. He was in command from October 1969 to July 1972.
After commanding the submarine, he worked for the National Security Council. He also worked for the Secretary of Defense. He retired from the Navy in July 1975. At that time, he held the rank of commander.
Government and Private Sector Roles
After leaving the Navy, Pirie Jr. joined the new Congressional Budget Office. This office helps Congress understand the government's budget. He worked there as a Deputy Assistant Director. He was in charge of national security matters.
In 1977, Pirie became a Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. He worked on issues like military personnel and reserve forces. President Jimmy Carter later nominated him for a higher position. He became the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics. He served in this role from December 1978 to January 1981.
Later Work
After his government service, Pirie Jr. worked in the private sector. He was president of Essex Corporation. He also served as vice president for two research organizations: the Center for Naval Analyses and the Institute for Defense Analyses.
From 1989 to 1992, he led the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group. This group studied important topics for the Navy. He returned to government service in 1994. He was the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment) until October 2000. Then, he became the Under Secretary of the Navy from October 2000 to January 2001.
Family Life
Robert Pirie Jr. is married to Joan Adams. They have two sons and one daughter.
