Sean Charles O'Keefe (born January 27, 1956) is a university professor at
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
Maxwell School
Maxwell School () is an single-sex school, all-boys secondary school, located north of Kuala Lumpur. Established in 1916, the school is believed to be the oldest school in north of Kuala Lumpur as well as one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur and ...
, former chairman of
Airbus Group, Inc.,
former
Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...
, former
Administrator of NASA
The administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the highest-ranking official of NASA, the national List of space agencies, space agency of the United States. The administrator is NASA's chief decision maker, responsible ...
, and former chancellor of
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
(LSU). He is a former member of the
board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
of
DuPont
Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to:
People
* Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...
.
Early life and education
O'Keefe was born in
Monterey, California
Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, California, Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a popu ...
, to Patricia (née Carlin; died 2010) and Patrick Gordon O'Keefe (born c. 1927), both natives of
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. Patrick O'Keefe became a
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
engineer and over the years worked on nuclear submarines. The family lived on several naval bases during O'Keefe's childhood.
In 1973, he graduated from
Wheeler High School in
North Stonington, Connecticut. He attended
Loyola University in New Orleans, graduating in 1977 with a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
in
History
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
. He subsequently acquired his
Master of Public Administration
A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a specialized professional graduate degree in public administration that prepares students for leadership roles, similar or equivalent to a Master of Business Administration but with an emphasis on the ...
degree in 1978 from the
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Maxwell School) is the professional public policy school of Syracuse University, a private research university in Syracuse, New York. The school is organized in 11 academic departments and 1 ...
at
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
.
Career
After receiving his master's degree, he began his career as Presidential Management Intern and later was a budget analyst for the
Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...
. He served on the
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate.
The Senate App ...
staff for eight years, and was Staff Director of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
Comptroller, U.S. Department of Defense (1989–1992)
In 1989, O'Keefe became
Comptroller for the Department of Defense. Dubbed by some "the Grim Reaper," he led efforts to cut defense programs the Pentagon's senior leadership saw as unnecessary or wasteful. He was lauded for his handling of the financial aspects of the Gulf War, managing to collect large payments from U.S. allies which significantly offset the cost of the war.
Secretary of the Navy (1992–1993)
On July 7, 1992, President George H. W. Bush named him Acting Secretary of the Navy. He subsequently became permanent
Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On March 25, 2025, John Phelan was confirm ...
and held that position until Bush left office on January 20, 1993. Although his time in office was less than seven months, it was eventful. Originally appointed to help clean up the
"Tailhook" sexual harassment scandal, he also dealt with the draw down of Navy- and Marine Corps forces in the wake of the end of the Cold War, and he issued a new strategy policy statement for the sea services called "...From the Sea".
After Bush left office, O'Keefe was Professor of Business Administration, Assistant to the Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...
. He next became the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy, an endowed chair at Syracuse University's
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Maxwell School) is the professional public policy school of Syracuse University, a private research university in Syracuse, New York. The school is organized in 11 academic departments and 1 ...
.
Deputy Director Office of Management and Budget (2001)
From January to December 2001, O'Keefe served as deputy director of the
Office of Management and Budget
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President of the United States (EOP). The office's most prominent function is to produce the president's budget, while it also examines agency pro ...
in the
George W. Bush administration, a job that strengthened his reputation as a "bean counter".
Administrator of NASA (2001–2004)
O'Keefe became NASA administrator on December 21, 2001, after the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
confirmed his nomination. He came to NASA without formal training in science or engineering (as was the case with
James E. Webb
James Edwin Webb (October 7, 1906 – March 27, 1992) was an American government official who served as Undersecretary of State from 1949 to 1952. He was the second Administrator of NASA, Administrator of NASA from February 14, 1961, to Octob ...
who was NASA administrator from 1961 to 1968).
O'Keefe's tenure at NASA can be divided into roughly three equal periods, each marked by a single problem or event of overriding importance. In the period December 2001 through January 2003, O'Keefe eliminated a $5 billion
cost overrun
A cost overrun, also known as a cost increase or budget overrun, involves unexpected incurred costs. When these costs are in excess of budgeted amounts due to a value engineering underestimation of the actual cost during budgeting, they are known ...
in the construction of the
International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
. In 2003, he dealt with the
Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' accident and its aftermath. From January 2004 through February 2005, O'Keefe re-organized NASA to start working on President George W. Bush's newly announced
Vision for Space Exploration to send humans to the Moon and Mars.
One of O'Keefe's most controversial decisions occurred in January 2004, when he cancelled an upcoming
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...
mission to service the aging
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the Orbiting Solar Observatory, first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ...
.
O'Keefe claimed that, in light of the Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' accident, the mission would be too risky, since any potential shuttle damage while visiting the Hubble, would mean insufficient fuel to dock with the space station as a "safe haven". While members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) supported this decision numerous astronomers felt that the Hubble telescope was valuable enough to merit the risk. This resulted in strained relations between astronomers and the astronaut community.
In the buildup to the
2004 presidential election, a dispute in the press occurred between O'Keefe and NASA climatologist
James Hansen
James Edward Hansen (born March 29, 1941) is an American climatologist. He is an adjunct professor directing the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions of the The Earth Institute, Earth Institute at Columbia University. He is best ...
. In 2003, it was claimed, O'Keefe warned Hansen not to discuss humanity's role in global warming. "The administrator
r. O'Keefeinterrupted me," Dr. Hansen said in the ''New York Times'', "he told me that I should not talk about dangerous anthropogenic interference, because we do not know enough or have enough evidence for what would constitute dangerous anthropogenic interference." O'Keefe's spokesperson said O'Keefe had not meant to admonish Hansen or suggest that research efforts should be cut. The ''New York Times'' reported that "Dr. Franco Einaudi, director of the NASA Earth Sciences Directorate at the
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC ...
in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Dr. Hansen's supervisor, said he was at the meeting between Dr. Hansen and Mr. O'Keefe. Dr. Einaudi confirmed that Mr. O'Keefe had interrupted the presentation to say that these were "delicate issues" and there was a lot of uncertainty about them. But, he added: "Whether it is obvious to take that as an order or not is a question of judgment. Personally, I did not take it as an order."
O'Keefe responded to President Bush's 'Vision for Exploration' by hiring retired Navy Admiral
Craig E. Steidle who had previously led development of the
Joint Strike Fighter
Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is a development and acquisition program intended to replace a wide range of existing fighter, strike, and ground attack aircraft for the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, the Netherlan ...
(JSF) as an associate administrator in charge of NASA's new Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD). He developed a mission architecture for lunar exploration based on four launches of medium-lift vehicles and four space rendezvous per mission, which was immediately scrapped by
Michael Griffin upon his arrival at NASA. NASA started over with the
Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), sixteen months after Bush's Vision for Space Exploration announcement. This led to the
Ares I and
Ares V launch vehicles (later cancelled) and the
Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle.
O'Keefe announced his resignation from NASA on December 13, 2004.
Asteroid
78905 Seanokeefe was named in honor of O'Keefe's role as NASA administrator.
Chancellor of Louisiana State University (2005–2008)
O'Keefe succeeded
Mark Emmert
Mark Allen Emmert (born December 16, 1952) is the former president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). He was the fifth CEO of the NCAA; he was named as the incoming president on April 27, 2010, and assumed his duties on Nov ...
on February 21, 2005. O'Keefe has been credited for establishing the
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
endowment through the $798 million "Forever LSU Campaign", his second campaign as LSU's chancellor. He became popular among students for interacting with them, especially during periodic 'Chats with the Chancellor' across the campus throughout the semesters, and because of his encouraging emails. O'Keefe led LSU during its response to
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
in August and September 2005 when the campus was transformed into what has been called "the largest acute-care field hospital established in a contingency in the nation's history." On January 16, 2008, he announced that February 1, 2008 was his last day as chancellor.
O'Keefe lightly discussed his membership in the exclusive San Francisco
Bohemian Club that has a 15- to 20-year waiting list, with the Louisiana State University student newspaper ''
The Daily Reveille''. During July 2005, O'Keefe had traveled to visit the famous
Bohemian Grove near San Francisco as a member of the 'Wayside Log camp'. The prior time in 1993 he was the guest of a member, one whom he later appointed to a NASA panel.
EADS North America / Airbus Group North American Unit (2009–2014)
In October 2009,
EADS North America hired O'Keefe as CEO. His Washington connections were noted at a time when EADS was trying to secure a
$35 billion U.S. Air Force contract for tanker aircraft in a competition with
Boeing
The Boeing Company, or simply Boeing (), is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product support s ...
.
O'Keefe brought aboard
Paul Pastorek, the Louisiana state
school superintendent from 2007 to 2011, as the EADS chief counsel and corporate secretary. O'Keefe and his teenaged son were among four survivors of an
August 2010 seaplane crash near
Aleknagik, Alaska; O'Keefe sustained serious injuries, while former US Senator
Ted Stevens
Theodore Fulton Stevens Sr. (November 18, 1923 – August 9, 2010) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senate, U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009.
He was the longest-serving Republican Party (United St ...
and four others were killed.
In January 2011, O'Keefe assumed the additional responsibilities of chairman of the board of EADS, which was renamed Airbus Group's North American Unit. In March 2014, O'Keefe stepped down as Chief Executive to address lingering medical issues from his 2010 airplane crash injuries.
Syracuse University (2014–present)
In November 2014 the
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C. From its founding in 1962 until 1987, it was an affiliate of Georgetown University, initially named the Center for Strategic and Inte ...
(CSIS) announced that O'Keefe had joined CSIS as a Distinguished Senior Adviser. Simultaneously Syracuse University announced that O'Keefe had been appointed as a University Professor. O'Keefe has long been affiliated with Syracuse University since his graduation. From 1996 to 2001, O'Keefe was the Maxwell School's Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy. He received Syracuse University Chancellor's Award for Public Service for faculties in 1999 and the distinguished alumni Arents Award for Excellence in Public Service in 2011.
In 2020, O'Keefe, along with over 130 other former Republican national security officials, signed a statement that asserted that
President Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th president from 2017 to 2021.
...
was unfit to serve another term, and "To that end, we are firmly convinced that it is in the best interest of our nation that Vice President
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
be elected as the next President of the United States, and we will vote for him." In 2024, O'Keefe again endorsed Biden but later shifted his support to
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
after Biden withdrew from the race.
Personal life
O'Keefe and his wife, Laura, have three children. O'Keefe's great-grandfather was
Arthur J. O'Keefe Sr., who from 1926 to 1929 was the
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
. His grandfather, Arthur O'Keefe Jr., was a member of the
Louisiana State Senate
The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees.
Composition
The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...
from New Orleans from 1948 to 1950. His uncle is the former State Senate President,
Michael H. O'Keefe. On August 9, 2010, O'Keefe survived the
2010 Alaska DHC-3 Otter crash which killed former Alaska senator
Ted Stevens
Theodore Fulton Stevens Sr. (November 18, 1923 – August 9, 2010) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Senate, U.S. Senator from Alaska from 1968 to 2009.
He was the longest-serving Republican Party (United St ...
.
References
* ''The Career and Education portions of this article are based on
public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...
text fro
NASA''
External links
Official LSU Office of the Chancellor*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okeefe, Sean
1956 births
Living people
Administrators of NASA
Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents
People from North Stonington, Connecticut
George H. W. Bush administration personnel
Leaders of Louisiana State University
Loyola University New Orleans alumni
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumni
United States secretaries of the navy
George W. Bush administration personnel
People from Monterey, California
United States Under Secretaries of Defense
American people of Irish descent
Syracuse University faculty