Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill Joins RAND Board of Trustees

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul H. O'Neill has been elected to the RAND Board of Trustees, RAND President and CEO James A. Thomson announced today.

O'Neill was first elected to the RAND governing board in 1988 and became board chairman in 1997. He resigned from the RAND Board of Trustees in January 2001 after he was confirmed as secretary of the treasury. He is a resident of Pittsburgh.

“Returning to the RAND Board is a homecoming for me, and it's good to be back,” O'Neill said. “I'm drawn back by RAND's dedication to the power of ideas and to careful research and analysis and by the terrific people who are part of the institution.”

“Paul O'Neill has been a great friend to RAND and we are delighted that he will again provide his insight and energy to our efforts.” Thomson said. “Paul's many skills and broad background in government and the private sector are tremendous assets for RAND. He is a true believer in the power of objective analysis in both the public and private spheres.”

O'Neill played a key role in the decision by RAND to open its third major U.S. office in Pittsburgh in 2000. The Pittsburgh office now includes 80 employees and is scheduled to grow in the future.

RAND Trustee James E. Rohr—chairman and chief executive officer of The PNC Financial Services Group—is also from Pittsburgh.

A $2.5 million gift from O'Neill and the Alcoa Foundation led to the creation of the Paul O'Neill Alcoa Professorship in Policy Analysis at RAND. The professorship is a rotating five-year appointment to analyze such major public policy issues as education, health and economics.

O'Neill served as chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999, and retired as chairman at the end of 2000. He was president of International Paper Company from 1985 to 1987, and served as vice president from 1977 to 1985.

In addition to serving in the current Bush Administration, O'Neill's government service includes working as deputy director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget from 1974 to 1977. He joined that agency in 1967 after a six-year stint with the U.S. Veterans Administration as a computer systems analyst.

Born in St. Louis, O'Neill received a B.A. degree in economics from Fresno State College and a master's degree in public administration from Indiana University.