Susan Livingstone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Secretary of the Navy | |
| Acting January 30, 2003 – February 7, 2003 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Gordon R. England |
| Succeeded by | Hansford T. Johnson (acting) |
| United States Undersecretary of the Navy | |
| In office July 26, 2001 – February 28, 2003 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Robert B. Pirie Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Dionel M. Aviles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1946-01-13)January 13, 1946 (age 79) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | College of William & Mary (BA) University of Montana (MA) Tufts University (MA) |
Susan Morrisey Livingstone (born January 13, 1946) is an American retired politician who briefly served as the first female ActingUnited States Secretary of the Navy[1]from January 24 to February 7, 2003.[1] Livingstone also served asUnder Secretary of the Navy under PresidentGeorge W. Bush from 2001 to 2003.
Livingstone played a crucial role in the effort to end coercive and abusive interrogation tactics atU.S. Naval BaseGuantanamo Bay,Cuba. At the time, as Under Secretary of the Navy, Livingstone oversaw a large management portfolio, which included lawyers in the Navy General Counsel's office and investigators at theNaval Criminal Investigative Service who raised concerns about the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Livingstone was a native ofCarthage, Missouri and grew up in anAir Force family. She graduated from theCollege of William and Mary in 1968 with an A.B. degree and completed an M.A. in political science at theUniversity of Montana in 1972. She also held a graduate degree from theFletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Livingstone served at theVeterans Administration from 1981 to 1989 in a number of positions, including Associate Deputy Administrator for Logistics and the Associate Deputy Administrator for Management. Prior to her Executive Branch service, Livingstone worked for more than nine years in the Legislative branch on the personal staffs of both a Senator and two Congressmen.
From 1989 to 1993, during theGeorge H. W. Bush administration, Livingstone served asAssistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy and Environment). In that position, her responsibilities included military construction, installation management, energy and environmental issues, domestic disaster relief and restoration of public infrastructure to the people ofKuwait followingOperation Desert Storm.
From 1993 to 1998, Livingstone worked for theAmerican Red Cross as Vice President of Health and Safety Services, as Acting Senior Vice President for Chapter Services, and as a consultant for Armed Forces Emergency Services. Prior to being nominated as the Under Secretary of the Navy, she had held the post of CEO of theAssociation of the United States Army (AUSA) and deputy chairman of its Council of Trustees. She also served as a vice president and a member of the Board of the Procurement Round Table, as well as a consultant on policy and management issues.
Livingstone served asUnder Secretary of the Navy from July 26, 2001, to February 28, 2003. As the Under Secretary of the Navy, Livingstone was cited byGeneral Counsel of theUnited States Navy,Alberto J. Mora for revokingDepartment of Defense regulations, authorized bySecretary of DefenseDonald Rumsfeld, that allowed the use of coercive interrogation techniques on detainees atGuantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. After theNaval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Director David Brandt briefed Mora on alleged maltreatment of detainees at Guantanamo, Mora says he turned to Livingstone after his appeals to the Department of Defense General Counsel's office failed. In a memorandum to Navy investigators, Mora wrote of a January 3, 2003 meeting with Livingstone that "this was the first of almost daily conversations or meetings that I had with Under Secretary Livingstone on [detainee interrogation]. Her views and mine [in opposition to the treatment and policy] coincided, and she provided great support ..." On January 15, 2003, Rumsfeld suspended authority for the approved interrogation techniques.[2]
Since leaving the Navy, Livingstone has worked as a policy management consultant and has served as a member of the National Security Studies Board of Advisors, a board member of the Procurement Round Table and theNASA Return-to-Flight Task Group for safe return ofSpace Shuttle flights after theColumbia disaster.[3]
The full text ofthe memo at Wikisource.| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Undersecretary of the Navy 2001–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Navy Acting 2003 | Succeeded by |
