James R. Schlesinger

Born: 1929-02-15 • New York City, New York, USA

James Rodney Schlesinger (February 15, 1929 – March 27, 2014) was an American economist and public servant who was best known for serving as Secretary of Defense from 1973 to 1975 under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. Prior to becoming Secretary of Defense, he served as Chair of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) from 1971 to 1973, and as CIA Director for a few months in 1973. He became America's first Secretary of Energy under Jimmy Carter in 1977, serving until 1979.

While Secretary of Defense, he opposed amnesty for draft resisters and pressed for development of more sophisticated nuclear weapon systems. Additionally, his support for the A-10 and the lightweight fighter program (later the F-16) helped ensure that they were carried to completion.

Filmography

The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby

2011 • Self

Henry Kissinger: Secrets of a Superpower

2008 • Self

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib

2007 • Self (archive footage)

U.S. Strategic Nuclear Policy