74th United States Secretary of Treasury

There are many powerful men who have made the successful transition from corporate dealmaker to national policymaker. One such respected character in our country today is US Secretary of the Treasury Henry “Hank” M. Paulson, Jr.

Henry Paulson, Jr. graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Dartmouth University in 1968. Two years later, he accomplished his Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. Early on he showed a proficiency for making the right decisions in critical situations, no matter how difficult they were. From 1970-1972, he was staff assistant to the Pentagon’s assistant secretary of defense. With his professional caliber, he immediately became a member of the White House Domestic Council. This was from 1972-1973, when he served as staff assistant to the President.

In 1974, Henry Paulson, Jr. shifted careers to join the corporate world. He became part of global investment banking and securities firm Goldman Sachs under James P. Gorter. He became a partner within eight years of working at the Chicago office. In 1983, Henry Paulson, Jr. became the Midwest region’s investment banking services head. This was prior to his becoming a managing partner in 1988. He then served as the firm’s Investment Banking Division’s co-head. Then in 1994, he was appointed president and chief operating officer. The year 1998 saw him ascend to the ranks of co-senior partner. And in 1999, he became chairman and chief executive officer when the company went public. Henry Paulson, Jr. remained in these positions until he was nominated by President George W. Bush to be the 74th Secretary of the Treasury on June 19, 2006.

In a unanimous decision, the US Senate confirmed the nomination of Henry Paulson, Jr. for Secretary of the Treasury. He was sworn into office on July 10, 2006. On his first public appearance he announced that one of his four major long-term priorities is addressing the income inequality in the country. Three other challenges he identified were energy policy, maintaining global trade and investment, and reforming citizen entitlement programs.