Donald Rice Donald Blessing Rice ( born Frederick , Maryland , June 4 , 1939 ) is a California businessman and senior government official . He has been president and chief executive officer of several large companies including RAND Corporation , and has sat on numerous boards of directors , including Wells Fargo & Company . Rice also served as the seventeenth Secretary of the Air Force , 1989 – 93 . Early life . Rice was born in 1939 in Frederick , Maryland , the son of Donald B . Rice , Sr . , and Mary C . Rice . His father operated a service station , and later started a tire business , eventually becoming mayor of Frederick , while his mother kept the books for the family business . Both parents stressed the need for a good education . Business , public service and education were all important influences on Rice as he grew up . Rice earned a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame , a MS in industrial management from Purdue University , and a Ph . D in economics also from Purdue University . He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army Ordnance Corps upon graduation in June 1961 . On August 25 , 1962 , Rice married Susan Fitzgerald . The couple are the parents of three sons , Donald B . Rice III , Joseph J . Rice , and Matthew F . Rice . Public service . From 1965 to 1967 , he served on active duty as a lieutenant and then captain of ordnance . During that time , he was assistant professor of management and acting deputy director for academics at the Navy Management Systems Center in the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey , California . While on active duty , he earned a master ' s degree in industrial management from Purdue University in 1962 , and then a doctorate in economics in 1965 also from Purdue . In 1967 , Rice became director of cost analysis in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in Washington , D . C . Two years later , he was appointed as deputy assistant secretary of defense for resource analysis where he was responsible for cost analysis , manpower and logistics requirements , and budget planning for defense programs . From 1970 to 1972 , he served as assistant director in the Office of Management and Budget . In this position , he managed Federal Government budget activities for agriculture , atomic energy , commerce , energy , environment , natural resources , public works , science and technology , space , and transportation . In 1972 , Rice became president and chief executive officer of RAND Corporation , an independent , nonprofit , public service think tank in Santa Monica , California . RAND conducts research and strategic analysis on national security issues and offers doctoral degree programs in several fields of public policy . During this time , Rice also serve as chairman of the National Commission on Supplies and Shortages and two terms on the National Science Board . At the request of President Ronald Reagan , he directed a comprehensive study of the resources management process within the United States Department of Defense . He remained at RAND until May 1989 when President George H . W . Bush appointed him Secretary of the Air Force . As the Air Force Secretary , Rice reorganized the Air Force and reduced its budget . The first Gulf War , also known as " Desert Storm " , was fought while he was Secretary . Rice served for four years , from May 22 , 1989 , until he left the Department of the Air Force on January 20 , 1993 . Rice has been president of the Institute of Management Sciences , a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science , the American Economic Association and the United States Commission on National Security in the 21st century , and a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration . Active in Republican politics , he has been a member of McCain 2000 , George W . Bush for President , Bush - Cheney ' 04 , John McCain 2008 , the National Republican Congressional Committee , and the National Republican Senatorial Committee . Businessman . After he left the Air Force , Rice became president and chief operating officer of Teledyne in March 1993 , serving until August 1996 . He left Teledyne to become president and chief executive officer of Agensys Corporation , a Santa Monica based biotechnology company . In 2002 , he became chairman of the Agensys board of directors . Rice has served on numerous corporate boards . These include Chevron Corporation , Johnson & Johnson , Pacific Enterprises , Scios , Teledyne , Wells Fargo & Company , Unocal , Amgen , and Vulcan Materials Company . He was chairman of the board of directors of Scios from 1998 until its sale to Johnson & Johnson in 2003 . Rice is a member of RAND board of trustees , and chairman of the board of governors for RAND ’ s Pardee Graduate School . He is also a member of the equipment advisory committee for the PGA Tour . Awards . Rice has received five honorary doctorates degrees . His first honorary degree was a doctorate in Engineering from Notre Dame in 1975 ; his second , in Management , was from Purdue in 1985 ; he received a third , in Laws , from Pepperdine in 1989 ; the fourth , was in Humane Letters , from West Coast University in 1993 ; and the most recent , in Public Policy , from the RAND graduate school in 1995 . In 1999 , Rice received the " Wanner Award " from the Military Operations Research Society . Other awards include the " Citation Award " from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Engineering and Applied Sciences , the Air Force Association ’ s " Symington Award " , and the Jaycees ’ Ten Outstanding Young Men recognition . He is a Ford Foundation doctoral fellow . Rice was also awarded Distinguished Civilian Service Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal from the Secretary of the Defense .