I learned with great sadness that a predecessor of mine at the Department of Energy, Admiral James Watkins, passed away late last week.
Admiral Watkins was a dedicated public servant who served this Department and his country well. In addition to serving as Secretary of Energy under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, he was also a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy where he served for nearly four decades and rose to Chief of Naval Operations. At the Department of Energy, he helped steer the enterprise through the earliest days of the post-Cold War era, leaving behind a strong legacy and a stronger Department.
We are grateful for his service to his country, and our thoughts are with his friends and family.
