Stuart Eizenstat

Stuart E. Eizenstat was sworn into office as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury on July 19, 1999. As Deputy Secretary, Mr. Eizenstat was the second-highest ranking official at the Treasury Department. While serving as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Eizenstat continued his work as Special Envoy for Property Claims in Central and Eastern Europe, a position he held since 1995.

On June 6, 1997, Stuart E. Eizenstat was sworn in as Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs and served until July 16, 1999. The Under Secretary serves as the senior economic official at the Department of State. He advises the Secretary on international economic policy and leads the work of the Department on issues ranging from trade and aviation negotiations to bilateral relations with major partners such as Japan and the European Union.

From April 5, 1996 to June 6, 1997, Ambassador Eizenstat was Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. At Commerce, Under Secretary, Mr. Eizenstat led the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, which has responsibility for promoting U.S. exports, assisting American business efforts abroad, enforcing laws against unfair trade practices and developing trade policy.

Mr. Eizenstat served as the U.S. Representative to the European Union. At the time of his nomination, he was Partner and Vice Chairman of the law firm, and Chairman of the Washington office, of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy, where he had been since 1981. He concurrently served as Adjunct Lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was a Guest Scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

In 1996, at the conclusion of his service as U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Ambassador Eizenstat received from Secretary of State Warren Christopher the highest award which can be given to a non-career Ambassador, the Foreign Affairs Award for Public Service.

Mr. Eizenstat has recently been appointed co-chairman of the European-American Business Council. He is a partner at the law firm Covington & Burling, heading the firm’s international practice. His work at Covington focuses on international business transactions and regulations and on resolving international trade problems.

Stuart Eizenstat was born in Chicago in 1943. He is an honors graduate in political science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his law degree from Harvard University in 1967. His distinguished career in government began during his university years, when he spent three summers (1963, 1964, and 1966) working as an intern for both the legislative and the executive branches of the Federal Government. In 1967-68, he served as a staff aide in the Johnson White House and in 1968 as Research Director for Vice President Hubert Humphrey's Presidential Campaign.

His biography appears in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Lawyers, Who's Who in American Jewry, Who's Who in World Jewry, Who's Who Among Intellectuals, Who's Who in American Politics, and Who's Who in the World. He has received numerous awards throughout his years in public service, including the Export Enhancement Award, U.S. Coalition for Employment Through Exports, 1993; Israel Bond Award, 1992; Jewish Leadership Award, the Academy of Jewish Religion, 1989; Man of the Year Award from the National Capital Association of B'nai B'rith Lodges, 1982; U.S. Department of Labor Award for Special Contributions to Youth Employment, 1980; Award from the Washington International Business Council, 1978; and Young Man of the Year Award for Leadership, American Association for Jewish Education, 1973-74.

Ambassador Eizenstat is married to Frances Carol Eizenstat and is the father of two sons, Jay and Brian. He travels from Washington, D.C.