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October
8, 2002
Secretary Spencer Abraham, Former Secretaries
of Energy Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of
the Department of Energy
WASHINGTON, DC - Secretary of Energy Spencer
Abraham and four former Secretaries of Energy
celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Department
of Energy today at a ceremony at the agency's
Washington, D.C. headquarters. The event honored
the department's employees, particularly the
nearly 2000 employees who have been with DOE
since its inception in 1977, and the accomplishments
of DOE's 25 years of service.
Joining Secretary Abraham at the celebration
were the department's first Secretary, James
R. Schlesinger (August 1977-August 1979); Secretary
James B. Edwards (January 1981- November 1982);
Secretary James D. Watkins (March 1989-January
1993); and Secretary Hazel R. O'Leary (January
1993-January 1997).
Secretary Schlesinger in his keynote recounted
stories of the beginning days of DOE, from the
selection of the Forrestal Building as the headquarters
to the first pieces of legislation influenced
by the new department.Secretary Edwards noted
his transition from South Carolina Governor
to his time in the Reagan Administration. Secretary
Watkins mentioned the importance of nuclear
power both in our past and for the future. Secretary
O'Leary praised the employees of DOE past and
present.
Secretary Abraham delivered the Anniversary
Address to the assembled dignitaries, employees,
and former officials.
"In 1977 the new Department of Energy brought
together for the first time not only most of
the government's energy programs but also science
and technology programs and defense responsibilities
that included the design, construction and testing
of nuclear weapons," Secretary Abraham
said. "During the next 25 years and beyond,
the Department of Energy will be one of the
most vital and exciting agencies in the federal
government. I am genuinely thrilled for the
future of this department."
"The mission we all share - enhancing America's
energy and national security - is even more
profound today than it was in October 1977.October
2002 finds us a nation at war. It finds us a
nation facing serious energy challenges over
the coming decades. But it is also a nation
that finds in us a Department dedicated to meeting
the challenges of the future. We have a highly
disciplined, highly dedicated workforce capable
of meeting those challenges, and a president
with great confidence in our ability to do so."
The Secretary also announced at today's ceremony
that Dr. Raymond F. Davis Jr., who was an employee
at the Department's Brookhaven National Laboratory,
was named by the Nobel Prize Committee to be
a recipient of this year's prize for physics,
specifically, for his pioneering work in the
detection of solar neutrinos. This Nobel Prize
is first and foremost a tribute to Dr. Davis.
But it is also further testimony to the high
quality of the scientific work that the department
has underwritten throughout its history.
The Department of Energy opened for business
on Oct. 1, 1977.In the 25 years since its inception,
the department has enjoyed countless scientific
achievements and technological successes, and
has contributed to the United States national
security.
Some of the key scientific breakthroughs in
the department's national security and scientific
initiatives over the past 25 years include DNA
sequencing and computational technologies that
made possible the historic unraveling of the
human genetic code, our blueprint for life;
new holographic computerized imaging technology
that can rapidly identify hidden weapons, even
non-metallic ones, through the clothing of airline
passengers; microbes that eat waste and can
be harnessed to clean up contaminated sites;
securing the safety of nuclear materials within
the former Soviet Union; and certifying that
the nation's nuclear stockpile is safe, secure
and reliable without testing.
www.25yearsofenergy.gov
Media Contact:
Number: PR-02-213
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