Paul H. O'Neill was sworn in as the 72nd
Secretary of the Treasury on January 20, 2001.
O'Neill was chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987
to 1999, and retired as chairman at the end of
2000. Prior to joining Alcoa, O'Neill was president
of International Paper Company from 1985 to 1987,
where he was vice president from 1977 to 1985.
O'Neill's unique experience transforming an old
economy firm into a new economy success has been
chronicled as a study by the Harvard Business
School, and studied in business schools across the
nation. O'Neill has gained valuable insights into
international finance and the global economy as
head of a major corporation with 140, 000 employees
spread across 36 nations.
O'Neill's mastery of federal budget details and
process stems from his tenure at the US Office of
Management and Budget. He joined OMB in 1967, and
was deputy director of OMB from 1974 to 1977. He
began his public service as a computer systems
analyst with the US Veterans Administration, where
he served from 1961 to 1966.
He received a bachelor's degree in Economics
from Fresno State College in California, and a
master's degree in Public Administration from
Indiana University. Mr. O'Neill was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on
December 4, 1935.
