NASA: Beggs leaves, Graham takes over.James M. Beggs James Montgomery Beggs (born January 9, 1926) served as the 6th Administrator of NASA. Nominated by President Reagan on June 1, 1981, Beggs took his oath of office and entered the post on July 10, 1981, serving until December 4, 1985. , administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), civilian agency of the U.S. federal government with the mission of conducting research and developing operational programs in the areas of space exploration, artificial satellites (see satellite, artificial), for the last three years, began a leave of absence last week. The action came shortly after Beggs was charged with conspiring to defraud the Army on a weapons contract when he was an executive vice-president at General Dynamics General Dynamics Corporation (NYSE: GD) is a defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2006 it is the sixth largest defense contractor in the world[1]. The company has changed markedly in the post-Cold War era of defense consolidation. Corp., before coming to NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. . NASA's deputy administrator, William R. Graham, was named acting administrator until the charges against Beggs are resolved. Beggs's departure, though voluntary, came after several members of Congress called for him to resign. In a prepared statement, Beggs said, "For the record, I do not intend to leave the agency. This is not an interim step to a resignation." In a subsequent speech to NASA employees, Beggs was even more forceful. He reportedly labeled the charges against him as "outrageous" and "ridiculous" and part of an "adversarial relationship" created by the federal government against contractors. Beggs was one of three officers of the St. Louis-based company indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. They were accused of illegally billing the Army for several millions of dollars in cost overruns on a prototype of the Sergeant York anti-aircraft gun. Ultimately, after about a $2 billion investment of federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve with a number of companies, the project was canceled because the gun didn't work. Beggs, as well as General Dynamics, has denied the charges. "There is nothing that I did in the case involved that I would not do again if I had to do it over again," said Beggs, 59. "We acted in an entirely ethical, legal and moral sense... I feel confident that ... I'll be completely exonerated of the charges." Graham, 48, had been on the NASA payroll just over a week before he was thrust into the interim role. Prior to joining the agency he was senior associate of R&D Associates in Marina Del Rey, Calif., and had served for three years as chair of President Reagan's General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament One of the major efforts to preserve international peace and security in the twenty-first century has been to control or limit the number of weapons and the ways in which weapons can be used. Two different means to achieve this goal have been disarmament and arms control. . Reagan, who defended Beggs after the charges were made public, said he was "reluctantly" granting the leave. |
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