KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: He served two presidents, reassured the nation during an oil crisis, and later turned his attention to this nation's less fortunate. CNN's Andria Hall gives us some perspective on the life and career of former Treasury secretary William Simon.</s>ANDRIA HALL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): William Simon was given the task of managing the Arab oil embargo of 1973. President Richard Nixon appointed him to head the Federal Energy Office at the height of the embargo. He became known as the United States' energy czar. Simon instituted a mandatory fuel allocation program and was able to ease public concern without resorting to national fuel rationing. At the same time, he was deputy to Treasury Secretary George Shultz. When his boss resigned in 1974, Simon was appointed head of the U.S. Treasury Department. As the Nixon administration gave way to Gerald Ford's presidency, Simon, untainted by Watergate, was kept on. He was responsible for several national law enforcement agencies under the Treasury Department, including U.S. Customs and the Secret Service. When President Ford left office and the Democrats came to power in 1977, William Simon returned to business, ultimately forming his own investment firm. He also authored two books, "A Time For Truth" and "A Time For Action," both of them best sellers. William Edward Simon, dead at 72. Andria Hall, CNN.
Former Treasury Secretary William Simon Dies at 72