James Woolsey

About

R. James Woolsey was the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, 2008-09; a venture partner at VantagePoint Venture Partners; a senior executive adviser to Booz Allen Hamilton; counsel to the law firm of Goodwin Procter; and chairman of the Strategic Advisory Group of Paladin Capital Group.

Before he joined VantagePoint in March 2008, Woolsey was a partner with Booz Allen Hamilton in McClean, Virginia, specializing in energy and security issues and, prior to that, a partner with Shea & Gardner in Washington D.C., specializing in commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution (arbitration and mediation). He practiced at the firm on four different occasions for a total of 22 years.

Woolsey served five times in the federal government for a total of 12 years, holding presidential appointments in two Democratic and two Republican administrations. He served as director of Central Intelligence (1993–95), ambassador and chief negotiator for the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty in Vienna (1989–91), delegate at large (part-time) to the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks and the Defense and Space Talks in Geneva (1983–86), undersecretary of the navy (1977–79), and general counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services (1970–73).

He has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. Woolsey speaks publicly on occasion and contributes articles to newspapers and other periodicals on such issues as national security, energy, foreign affairs, and intelligence.

Woolsey received his B.A. degree from Stanford University (1963, with great distinction, Phi Beta Kappa), an M.A. from Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar 1963–65), and an LL.B from Yale Law School (1968, managing editor of the Yale Law Journal).