James Hodgson once said: “I’ve never had any ambitions; only enthusiasms.” As the nation’s 12th Secretary of Labor, he leaves behind an extraordinary legacy in Occupational Safety and Health. Under his leadership as Secretary of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Nixon in 1972. “Safety was extremely important in aircraft plants,” the former Lockheed executive once said, “but as I went around looking at other industries, I was just appalled at the conditions I saw.” Today, OSHA – the agency he envisioned and built – employs more than 2,200 people and strives to keep nearly 8 million U.S. workplaces safe and healthy through setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. During his tenure as Secretary of Labor he also led a major expansion of employment and training programs to stem the post-Vietnam War recession through the Emergency Employment Act of 1971.
May God Bless his wife Maria and their two children. And to Mr. Hodgson… farewell and THANKS for putting occupational safety and health on the map for those of us hoping to fill your shoes!
CLICK HERE to see more of his accomplishments as Secretary of Labor