Black woman nominated to head U.S. Bureau of Mines

Jet, Sept 12, 1994

The U.S. Senate shortly will be asked to confirm President Clinton's nomination of Rhea Graham as the first Black and first woman director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in its 84 year history.

A distinguished geologist with extensive experience in the mining and minerals industry, Ms. Graham currently is a senior scientist with Science Applications International Corporation based in Albuquerque, NM.

Prior to that, she served as administrator of the state of New Mexico Mining and Mineral Division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department. She also worked several years as a senior engineering geologist with the environmental consulting firm of Deuel and Associates in Albuquerque.

A native of Terre Haute, IN, she received her formal training in geology at Bryn Mawr College (B.A. 1974) and earned a master's in oceanography (1977) from Oregon State University.

She enjoys broad support and respect throughout the mining and minerals industry, having been recommended for the post by the National Academy of Sciences which conducted a national search at the request of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.