American Decades
Simon, William 1927-
ENERGY CZAR, 1973-1974; SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, 1974-1977
A Relative Unknown.
When William Simon was appointed chief of the new Federal Energy Office on 4 December 1973, he was a relatively unknown Wall Street bond trader stepping into one of the most important jobs in the country. His decisiveness and candor in allocating American energy resources during the Arab oil embargo—and during the winter of 1973-1974—soon made him a house-hold name. Unlike fellow Nixon administration officials, Simon made a habit of openness with the press and responsiveness to the public, which lessened, perhaps, the seeming omnipotence of the "energy czar." And while William Simon did not end the energy crisis, his level-headed administration of the emergency made him one of the most respected bureaucrats among the various governmental agencies overseeing American industry, paving the way for his appointment as secretary of the treasury...
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1970's Business and the Economy
