Jim Hodgson - Former US Secretary of Labor

  Ambassador Hodgson was born in the Prairie town of Dawson Minnesota in 1915.  He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota , and did graduate work there and at UCLA.  He since has received five honorary degrees, has been an Adjunct Professor and Regent’s Lecturer at UCLA and served on Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota and the Medal of Merit from UCLA.  In 1982 he received the Order of the Rising Sun First Class from the Japanese government.  

                After 25 years with Lockheed he left his position as Senior Vice President to become Under Secretary of Labor.  He was appointed Secretary of Labor in 1970 and served in the cabinet for three years.  

                From 1974 to 1977 he was the U.S. Ambassador to Japan .  

                He has published three books, the most recent of which, published in 1998, is “U.S. Ambassador to Japan – A Lighthearted Look”  

                His current public affairs activities include roles as Director or Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Council of U.S. Ambassadors, the Japan America Society, the Pacific Basin Institute and the Rand Corporation.        

                Ambassador Hodgson now serves as business consultant to a number of companies, and as Director of United Television, and mutual funds of Alliance Capital Management.  He has been a Director of 14 corporations, including Hewlett-Packard, Ticor, Pacific Scientific, ARA Services, CalFed, Calvin Bullock, and from 1977 to 1983 he served as Chairman of the Board of Pathfinder Mines Company.  

                His title for his talk on August 16 will be “A Rambling Rumination on Public Life”.   We are in for a real treat!

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