Robert Burns Pirie Jr. (born September 10, 1933) is a retired
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
officer and politician. Early in 2001, Pirie served as Acting
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
until the nomination and confirmation of an appointee by President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
.
Biography
Born in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, Pirie is the son of naval aviator Robert B. Pirie, who retired from the Navy as a vice admiral. Raised in Wymore, Nebraska, the younger Pirie received his high school education at
Severn School
Severn School was founded in 1914 by Roland M. Teel in Severna Park, Maryland, as a preparatory school for the United States Naval Academy. In 2013, Severn School merged with nearby Chesapeake Academy. Currently the school enrolls boys and girl ...
in Maryland, graduating in 1950. He then attended
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...
for one year before being appointed to the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
. Pirie graduated from the Naval Academy with a B.S. degree in the class of 1955. While there, he played on the
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
from 1956 to 1959, earning a B.A. degree and later completing an M.A. degree in 1979. He served 20 years as a naval officer, culminating his service with three years in command of the
nuclear attack submarine
An SSN is a nuclear-powered general-purpose attack submarine. ''SSN'' is the US Navy hull classification symbol for such vessels; the ''SS'' denotes a submarine and the ''N'' denotes nuclear power. The designation SSN is used for interoperabili ...
from 25 October 1969 to 8 July 1972. He then served on the staff of the National Security Council and the Secretary of Defense.
Upon retirement from military duty in the Navy as a commander in July 1975, Pirie Jr. joined the newly formed
Congressional Budget Office
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency within the United States Congress, legislative branch of the United States government that provides budget and economic information to Congress.
Ins ...
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
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
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
CNA, formerly known as the CNA Corporation, is a federally-funded nonprofit research and analysis organization based in Arlington County, Virginia. CNA has around 625 employees.
General
CNA operates:
* The Center for Naval Analyses. CNA's Cente ...
Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations and Environment)
The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment) (abbreviated ASN(EI&E)) is a civilian office in the United States Navy established in 1990. The Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment) r ...
from March 1994 to October 2000, and
Under Secretary of the Navy
Under may refer to:
* "Under" (Alex Hepburn song), 2013
* "Under" (Pleasure P song), 2009
*Bülent Ünder (born 1949), Turkish footballer
*Cengiz Ünder (born 1997), Turkish footballer
*Marie Under (1883–1980), Estonian poet
* Under (restaurant) ...
from 12 October 2000 to 20 January 2001.
Personal
Pirie Jr. married Joan Adams. He has two sons and a daughter.