James M. Beggs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration | |
| In office July 10, 1981 – December 4, 1985 (de facto) February 26, 1986 (de jure) | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Robert A. Frosch |
| Succeeded by | James C. Fletcher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Montgomery Beggs (1926-01-09)January 9, 1926 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 2020(2020-04-23) (aged 94) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mary Harrison |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy Harvard University |
| Occupation | businessman, consultant, administrator |
James Montgomery Beggs (January 9, 1926 – April 23, 2020) was an American businessman and consultant who served as the 6thadministrator of NASA from 1981 to 1986.
James Montgomery Beggs was born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 9, 1926.[1] He graduated from theUnited States Naval Academy in 1947.[1] After leaving the navy in 1954, he earned a Master of Business Administration fromHarvard Business School in 1955.[1]
Beggs served as an executive vice president and director ofGeneral Dynamics.[1] He worked with NASA between 1968 and 1969 as an Associate Administrator of the Office of Advanced Research and Technology.[1] He was anUndersecretary of Transportation from 1969 to 1973.[1] He had served in managerial roles for various such corporations as Summa Corporation, General Dynamics, and Westinghouse prior to his work in NASA.[1]
Beggs was appointed by PresidentRonald Reagan as NASA Administrator on June 1, 1981, and took office on July 10.[1] He served until December 4, 1985, when he took an indefinite leave of absence due to an indictment for contract fraud related to activities alleged by theUnited States Department of Defense to have taken place prior to his tenure at NASA.[1] This indictment was later dismissed, and theUnited States Attorney General apologized to Beggs for any embarrassment.[1] Deputy AdministratorWilliam Graham took over as Acting Administrator until the appointment ofJames C. Fletcher, who had previously served as Administrator between 1971 and 1977, to a second term.[1]
Beggs formally resigned on February 26, 1986,[2] in the aftermath of theChallenger disaster.[3] He denied knowledge of the problems related to the disaster, stating that he "had no specific concerns with the joint, the O-rings or the putty".[4]
Beggs married Mary Harrison, and they had five children.[1] After his NASA career Beggs worked as a consultant from his offices inBethesda, Maryland,[5] and was involved with theNASA Alumni League and thePotomac Institute for Policy Studies.[1] Beggs died on April 23, 2020, in his Bethesda home of congestive heart failure.[3]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain:"James M. Beggs". NASA. October 22, 2004. Archived fromthe original on July 14, 2019. RetrievedApril 26, 2020.
Media related toJames M. Beggs at Wikimedia Commons
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| Preceded by | NASA Administrator 1981–1985 | Succeeded by William Robert Graham (acting) |
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