Former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill received an honorary degree at the College's 2010 commencement ceremony. After earning a graduate degree in Economics from Claremont Graduate University and a Master's of Public Administration from Indiana University, O'Neill began his career as a public servant with the Veteran's Administration in 1961. He worked in the Office of Management and Budget under the Nixon and Ford Administrations. O'Neill returned from work in the private sector to chair an advisory group on education for George H.W. Bush. In 2001, he was nominated Secretary of the Treasury for George W. Bush, a post O'Neill resigned in 2002. His strained relationship with the Bush administration regarding tax and economic policy is chronicled in the book The Price of Loyalty by Robert Suskind.
References
- College of William & Mary 2010 Commencement Announcement http://www.wm.edu/news/stories/2010/cea-chair-christina-romer-81-to-address-wm-class-of-2010123.php