Robert B. Pirie, Jr.

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Robert Pirie, circa 2001
Robert Pirie, circa 2001

Robert B. Pirie, Jr. is a retired United States Navy officer and politician. Early in 2001, Pirie served as Acting Secretary of the Navy until the nomination and confirmation of an appointee by President George W. Bush.

Pirie graduated from the United States Naval Academy in the class of 1955. He was also a Rhodes Scholar, and attended Oxford University from 1956 to 1959. He served 20 years as a naval officer, culminating his service with three years in command of a nuclear attack submarine.

Upon retirement from military duty in the Navy in 1975, Pirie joined the newly formed Congressional Budget Office as Deputy Assistant Director in charge of National Security. In 1977, Pirie became Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics. He was nominated to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower, Reserve Affairs and Logistics by President Jimmy Carter in December 1978, and served in that position until January 1981.

After leaving government service, Pirie held a variety of positions in the private sector, including that of president of Essex Corporation and vice president of the Center for Naval Analyses and vice president of the Institute for Defense Analyses. He directed the CNO Strategic Studies Group from 1989 to 1992. He previously held the position as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Installations and Environment from March of 1994 to October 2000, and Under Secretary of the Navy from 12 October 2000 to 20 January 2001.

He is son of Vice Admiral Robert B. Pirie.

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Preceded by
Richard Danzig		 United States Secretary of the Navy (acting)
January 20, 2001 – May 24, 2001		 Succeeded by
Gordon R. England