Charles Duncan Jr. | |
|---|---|
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| 2ndUnited States Secretary of Energy | |
| In office August 24, 1979 – January 20, 1981 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | James R. Schlesinger |
| Succeeded by | James B. Edwards |
| 17thUnited States Deputy Secretary of Defense | |
| In office January 31, 1977 – July 26, 1979 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | Robert Ellsworth |
| Succeeded by | W. Graham Claytor Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Charles William Duncan Jr. (1926-09-09)September 9, 1926 |
| Died | October 18, 2022(2022-10-18) (aged 96) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Anne Smith |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Rice University (BS) University of Texas at Austin |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Charles William Duncan Jr. (September 9, 1926 – October 18, 2022) was an American businessman, administrator, and politician who served as the secondUnited States secretary of energy in the Cabinet of PresidentJimmy Carter from 1979 to 1981. He had previously served as Carter'sUnited States Deputy Secretary of Defense during theIranian Revolution. Earlier, Duncan had run the family business, Duncan Coffee Company ofHouston, Texas, for seven years, untilthe Coca-Cola Company acquired it in 1964. After seven years on the Coke board, Duncan became the corporation's president.
Duncan was born on September 9, 1926, inHouston, Texas. He was the older of two children.[1] Duncan prepped at theSewanee Military Academy inSewanee, Tennessee, and served two years in theU.S. Army Air Corps duringWorld War II. He graduated fromRice University in 1947 with a degree in chemical engineering. Duncan also pursued two years of graduate work in business administration at theUniversity of Texas and worked briefly as aroustabout andchemical engineer for Humble Oil and Refining Corporation (nowExxon).[2][3]
In 1957, Duncan joined his family'scoffee business, which had been founded by his uncle and father in 1918. Duncan Coffee's early brands, notably Admiration and Bright & Early, had become grocery staples in Texas and surrounding states.[4] Duncan rose steadily through the ranks and attained the presidency in 1958. Under his leadership, the company expanded into the production ofinstant coffee—a new and popular beverage—by acquiring plants inNew Jersey andPennsylvania. Duncan also acquired several regional brands of ground coffee, including Butternut Foods of Nebraska and Fleetwood Coffee of Tennessee. He developed Maryland Club Coffee, which was marketed as a premier, upscale blend rivalingMaxwell House.[1][5]
On May 8, 1964, Duncan Coffee merged with the Coca-Cola Company, and Duncan joined the Cokeboard of directors.[6][7] He ran the newly formed Coca-Cola Foods Division, which included the coffee and citrus (Minute Maid) divisions of Coke. Three years later the company dispatched him to London to serve as chairman of Coca-Cola Europe. There Duncan supervised the operation and expansion of almost 300 Coca-Cola bottling plants throughout Europe and Asia, including ones in Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, and North Africa.[6] The first Eastern Europe introduction into Bulgaria made the Coca-Cola Company the first U.S. consumer marketing company to penetrate theIron Curtain.[8]
In 1970, Duncan returned to Atlanta and the following year became Coca-Cola's president. During his tenure from 1971 to 1974, the company enjoyed extensive growth. It also modernized its advertising. During this period Duncan bought theTE Ranch, southwest ofCody, Wyoming—a working cattle ranch established in 1895 byWilliam F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, from Coca-Cola's R. W. Woodruff.[6] In 1974, Duncan left Coca-Cola to head back to Houston, where he became the chairman of both Rotan Mosle Financial Corp. and Robertson Distribution Systems.[9]
Charles Kirbo, an advisor toJimmy Carter, recommended Duncan to Carter for a position in hispresidential administration. Carter nominated Duncan to be theDeputy Secretary of Defense.[7] In the role, Duncan advocated toU.S. Congress to end the prohibition of women in combat.[1] TheIranian Revolution occurred during his tenure, encompassing political changes that marked that nation's transformation from a monarchy under the pro-western ShahMohammad Reza Pahlavi to a so-called republic under theAyatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Duncan's duties involved multiple trips to several countries, including Iran, some of which were undergoing considerable turmoil. Duncan's military advisor was a young colonel namedColin Powell, who considered Duncan a mentor and good friend.[10]
In July 1979, President Carter nominated Duncan to succeedJames Schlesinger asSecretary of Energy.[7] The appointment drew some criticism,[11] as Duncan had little experience in the oil business, but he developed the reputation of a strong manager.[1] The experience strengthened Duncan's belief in conservation measures of all kinds, in addition to enhancing production.[12] Duncan imposed quotas on oil imports, encouraged weatherization of homes, and obtained subsidies forgasohol, helping to mitigate the worst impacts of the energy shortage.[1]
LeavingWashington DC at the end of Carter's term, Charles Duncan again returned to Houston, in January 1981. There he founded—with his brother, John H. Duncan—Gulf Partners, a private investment firm. He also served on the boards of The Coca-Cola Company, J. P. Morgan Chase, Texas Eastern, American Express, United Technologies, and more. Duncan also served as Limited Partner of Houston NFL Holdings, LP[13] and as treasurer and director of The Methodist Hospital. Additionally, he was a director of The Welch Foundation until October 2004.[14] At the request of Texas GovernorMark White and billionaire politicianRoss Perot, Duncan joined the Select Committee on Public Education, and theTexas State Board of Education.[15] The board formulated the controversial "no pass no play" rule, requiring athletes to maintain passing grades in all academic classes.[16][17]
Throughout his career, Duncan repeatedly served as a trustee on the Board of Governors ofRice University. From 1982 to 1996, he served as chairman of Rice's board. He twice led the search for a university president, lobbied for the recruitment of international students, and helped establish theJames A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, a nonpartisan think-tank.[18] When Duncan retired from the Rice board, the school named its new computational engineering buildingAnne and Charles Duncan Hall in honor of him and his wife in 1996. In 2007 the couple marked their fiftieth wedding anniversary in June and then—in October—donated $30 million to Rice to establishDuncan College, the university's eleventh residential college and its first-ever all-green building. This was part of Rice's Vision for the Second Century, which included establishing new residential colleges to accommodate the need to expand the student body while keeping the characteristics that make Rice distinctive.[3][19]
Duncan (in partnership with his son Charles W. Duncan III) latterly oversaw the diverse operations of Duncan Capital Management in Houston. Duncan also served on the board of trustees of the education non-profitReasoning Mind.[20]
Duncan and his wife, Anne (née Smith), had two children.[21]
Duncan died at his home in Houston on October 18, 2022, from complications of a fall, at age 96.[1]
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| Preceded by | United States Deputy Secretary of Defense 1977–1979 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Energy 1979–1981 | Succeeded by |
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