Sean O'Keefe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean O'Keefe
7th Chancellor of Louisiana State University
In office February 21, 2005 – February 1, 2008
Preceded by	Mark Emmert
Succeeded by	Michael V. Martin
10th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
In office December 21, 2001 – December 13, 2004
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Daniel Goldin
Succeeded by	Michael D. Griffin
69th United States Secretary of the Navy
In office October 2, 1992 – January 20, 1993 Acting: July 7, 1992 – October 2, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Henry L. Garrett III
Succeeded by	John Howard Dalton
United States Department of Defense Comptroller
In office May 22, 1989 – July 7, 1992
President	George H. W. Bush
Preceded by	Clyde O. Glaister
Succeeded by	John Hamre
Personal details
Born	Sean Charles O'Keefe (1956-01-27) January 27, 1956 (age 69) Monterey, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Relatives	Arthur J. O'Keefe (great-grandfather) Michael O'Keefe (uncle)
Education	Loyola University New Orleans (BA) Syracuse University (MPA)

Sean Charles O'Keefe (born January 27, 1956) is an American professor and government official. He has held many important jobs in the United States government and in universities. He was the head of NASA, the Secretary of the Navy, and the leader of a big university. He is currently a professor at Syracuse University.

Early Life and Education

Sean O'Keefe was born in Monterey, California. His parents were from New Orleans. His father was an engineer for the United States Navy. He worked on nuclear submarines. Because of his father's job, Sean's family lived on different naval bases when he was a child.

In 1973, he finished high school in Connecticut. He then went to Loyola University New Orleans and earned a degree in History in 1977. The next year, he earned a master's degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University.

Career Highlights

After finishing his studies, Sean O'Keefe started his career working for the government. He was a budget analyst for the United States Department of Defense. He also worked for the United States Senate on money matters for eight years.

Defense Department Comptroller

From 1989 to 1992, O'Keefe was the Comptroller for the Department of Defense. A comptroller is like a chief financial officer. He was in charge of managing the money. He worked to cut programs that were seen as wasteful. He also helped manage the money during the Gulf War. He made sure that other countries helped pay for the war.

Secretary of the Navy

In 1992, President George H. W. Bush chose Sean O'Keefe to be the United States Secretary of the Navy. This job means he was the top civilian leader for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. He held this important position for about seven months.

After his time as Secretary of the Navy, O'Keefe taught at Pennsylvania State University and later at Syracuse University.

Deputy Director of Budget Office

From January to December 2001, O'Keefe worked as the deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. This office helps the President manage the government's budget. This job helped him become known for being very good with numbers and budgets.

Administrator of NASA

Sean O'Keefe became the head of NASA on December 21, 2001. NASA is the U.S. space agency. He was in charge of all of NASA's projects and goals. He faced several big challenges during his time there.

• Fixing the Space Station Budget: When he started, the International Space Station project was way over budget. O'Keefe worked to fix this problem and save a lot of money.
• Responding to the Columbia Accident: In 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia had a terrible accident. O'Keefe had to lead NASA through this difficult time. He focused on understanding what happened and making space travel safer.
• Planning Future Space Missions: From 2004, O'Keefe helped NASA prepare for President George W. Bush's new plan for space exploration. This plan was called the Vision for Space Exploration. It aimed to send humans back to the Moon and eventually to Mars.

One big decision O'Keefe made was to cancel a mission to fix the Hubble Space Telescope. He believed it was too risky after the Columbia accident. He worried that if the shuttle was damaged, the astronauts would not have a safe place to go. Many scientists disagreed, saying the Hubble telescope was too important.

O'Keefe left NASA on December 13, 2004. An asteroid, 78905 Seanokeefe, was named in his honor.

Chancellor of Louisiana State University

On February 21, 2005, Sean O'Keefe became the Chancellor of Louisiana State University (LSU). A chancellor is the chief executive officer of a university. He helped raise a lot of money for the university. He was also popular with students because he often talked with them.

During his time at LSU, Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The university campus was used as a huge hospital to help people affected by the hurricane. O'Keefe led the university's efforts during this crisis. He left LSU on February 1, 2008.

EADS North America / Airbus Group

In 2009, O'Keefe became the CEO of EADS North America, which later became part of Airbus Group. This company builds airplanes and other aerospace products. He worked to help the company win big contracts.

In August 2010, O'Keefe was in a seaplane crash in Alaska. He was seriously injured, but he survived. Former U.S. Senator Ted Stevens and four others died in the crash. In 2014, O'Keefe stepped down from his role at Airbus Group to focus on his health.

Syracuse University Professor

Since 2014, Sean O'Keefe has been a University Professor at Syracuse University. He has a long history with the university, where he earned his master's degree and taught before. He continues to share his knowledge and experience with students.

Personal Life

Sean O'Keefe is married to Laura, and they have three children. His family has a history of public service. His great-grandfather, Arthur J. O'Keefe, was the mayor of New Orleans. His uncle, Michael O'Keefe, was also a politician in Louisiana.

See also

In Spanish: Sean O'Keefe para niños