Schlesinger family

James Schlesinger

Former U.S. secretary of energy

James Rodney Schlesinger (born 1929) was an intelligent and strong-minded conservative whose professorial expertise led to a controversial career in government which included several appointments by President Nixon, one of which was secretary of defense, from which he was fired by President Ford, and his appointment by President Carter as secretary of energy, from which he was forced to resign.

James R. Schlesinger was born and reared in a middle-class Jewish family in New York City. His early years coincided with the Great Depression and World War II. But the most indelible mark left on him was that of the formative years of the Cold War, which he experienced as a student at Harvard where he earned A.B., A.M., and Ph.D. degrees in economics. During these years he toured Europe on a fellowship and emerged with a no compromise attitude towards the Soviet Union. He also converted to the Lutheran Church and married Rachel Mellinger. Together they had eight children (four sons and four daughters).

In 1955 Schlesinger began his prof

James R. Schlesinger (1977–1979)

James Rodney Schlesinger was born in New York City on February 15, 1929. He attended Harvard University and earned a B.A. in 1950, an M.A. in 1952, and a Ph.D. in 1956, all in economics. He began teaching while he was pursuing his Ph.D. in 1955. He then taught economics at the University of Virginia until 1963. During his time as a professor, Schlesinger published his first book The Political Economy of National Security in 1960. 

In 1963, he moved to the Rand Corporation and eventually became the director of strategic studies for the think tank. In 1969, Schlesinger moved from the academic world to the realm of public service. That year, President Richard M. Nixon appointed Schlesinger as the assistant director of the Bureau of the Budget. After two years in that position, he was appointed chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.

The Watergate scandal brought turmoil upon the Nixon Administration. In 1973, Nixon fired Richard Helms, who was the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and replaced him with Schlesinger. Five

James R. Schlesinger

James R. Schlesinger

In office
August 6, 1977 – August 23, 1979PresidentJimmy CarterPreceded byPosition establishedSucceeded byCharles Duncan, Jr.In office
July 2, 1973 – November 19, 1975PresidentRichard Nixon
Gerald FordPreceded byElliot RichardsonSucceeded byDonald RumsfeldIn office
January 2, 1973 – July 2, 1973PresidentRichard NixonPreceded byRichard HelmsSucceeded byWilliam ColbyIn office
1971–1973PresidentRichard NixonPreceded byGlenn T. SeaborgSucceeded byDixy Lee RayBorn

James Rodney Schlesinger


(1929-02-15)February 15, 1929
New York City, U.S.DiedMarch 27, 2014(2014-03-27) (aged 85)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.Political partyRepublicanSpouse(s)Rachel Line Mellinger (m. 1954-1995; her death)ChildrenEightAlma materHarvard UniversityProfessionEconomist

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