John Bryson

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American businessman, lawyer and politician (1943–2025)

title: "John Bryson" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1943-births", "2025-deaths", "21st-century-american-politicians", "american-corporate-directors", "boeing-people", "cleveland-high-school-(portland,-oregon)-alumni", "directors-of-the-walt-disney-company", "fellows-of-the-american-academy-of-arts-and-sciences", "lawyers-from-portland,-oregon", "natural-resources-defense-council-people", "obama-administration-cabinet-members", "people-associated-with-energy", "people-associated-with-morrison-&-foerster", "stanford-university-alumni", "united-states-secretaries-of-commerce", "yale-law-school-alumni"] description: "American businessman, lawyer and politician (1943–2025)" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bryson" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American businessman, lawyer and politician (1943–2025) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	John Bryson
image	John Bryson official portrait.jpg
caption	Official portrait, 2011
office	37th United States Secretary of Commerce
president	Barack Obama
deputy	Rebecca Blank
term_start	October 21, 2011
term_end	June 21, 2012
On leave: June 11, 2012 – June 21, 2012
predecessor	Rebecca Blank (acting)
successor	Rebecca Blank (acting)
birth_name	John Edgar Bryson
birth_date
birth_place	New York City, U.S.
death_date
death_place	San Marino, California, U.S.
party	Democratic
education	Stanford University (BA)
Yale University (JD)
module
::

John Edgar Bryson (July 24, 1943 – May 13, 2025) was an American businessman, lawyer and politician. He served as United States Secretary of Commerce from 2011 until 2012, the 37th person to hold the post since its establishment in 1913. He took a leave of absence in June 2012 after a pair of vehicular accidents related to seizures and subsequently resigned. Previously he was chairman, chief executive officer, and president of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison and director of The Boeing Company. He co-founded the Natural Resources Defense Council with fellow Yale alumni in 1970.

Early life and education

Bryson was born in New York City on July 24, 1943. His father operated a sawmill. He received his bachelor's degree from Stanford University in 1965 and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Yale Law School in 1969.

Career

In 1970, with other recent Yale Law graduates, Bryson helped found and served as legal counsel for the Natural Resources Defense Council. From 1976 until 1979, Bryson served as chairman of the California State Water Resources Control Board, and from 1979 until 1982, he served as president of the California Public Utilities Commission. In 1983, Bryson worked for the law firm of Morrison & Foerster in the San Francisco office. Bryson joined Edison International in 1984, and served as director from 1990 until his retirement on July 31, 2008.

Bryson was a director of The Boeing Company, W. M. Keck Foundation, and The Walt Disney Company, and a former Director/Trustee for three Western Asset Management funds at Legg Mason. He served on a number of educational, environmental and other nonprofit boards, including chairman of the California Business Roundtable, a trustee of Stanford University, a trustee of California Institute of Technology, co-chairman of the Pacific Council on International Policy, and chairman of the Public Policy Institute of California.

Secretary of Commerce

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Barack_Obama_with_John_Bryson_and_Ron_Kirk.jpg" caption="Then-Secretary Bryson, along with President [[Barack Obama]] and U.S. Trade Representative [[Ron Kirk]] at a press conference in the rose garden of the White House in March 2012."] ::

On May 31, 2011, President Barack Obama nominated Bryson to succeed Gary Locke as the United States Secretary of Commerce. Citing Bryson's environmental views, United States Senator Jim Inhofe, a Republican from Oklahoma, put a hold on his nomination in July. The Senate later reached a unanimous consent agreement to vote on Bryson's nomination, and the Senate confirmed Bryson by a 74–26 vote on October 20, 2011. He was sworn in on October 21, 2011, becoming the 37th Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

As Secretary of Commerce, Bryson co-chaired the White House Office of Manufacturing Policy with Gene Sperling.

2012 traffic accidents and resignation

On June 9, 2012, Bryson was involved in a pair of car crashes in San Gabriel, California and Rosemead, California, which were investigated as possible felony hit and run. He is said to have been found unconscious at the site of the second crash. A Department of Commerce spokesperson confirmed he was involved in a crash, and said Bryson had suffered from a seizure.

After announcing in a memo that he was taking a medical leave of absence, with Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank taking over as Acting Secretary of Commerce, Bryson announced on June 21, 2012, his resignation from the post of Secretary of Commerce, because, "the work that [Commerce employees] do to help America’s entrepreneurs and businesses build our economy and create jobs is more important now than ever and I have come to the conclusion that I need to step down to prevent distractions from this critical mission."

Los Angeles County prosecutors announced on July 3, 2012, that no criminal charges would be pursued, as the collisions resulted from the cognitive effect of unexpected seizure.

Later life

Bryson joined the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars as a Distinguished Senior Public Policy Scholar in October 2012.

Personal life and death

Bryson was married to Louise Henry Bryson. Their four daughters graduated from the Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California. Bryson and his wife both served on the school's Board of Trustees.

Bryson died at home in San Marino, California, on May 13, 2025, at the age of 81.

References

(2006). "John E. Bryson 1943–".
Pope, Charles. (May 31, 2011). "John Bryson brings Portland roots as nominee to lead Commerce Department". The Oregonian.
(May 16, 2025). "Caltech Mourns the Passing of Trustee John E. Bryson (1943–2025)". California Institute of Technology.
[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-01-mn-1223-story.html Ex-Environment Activist Will Take Helm at Edison], Larry B. Stammer, Michael Parrish, Times staff writers, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', October 1, 1990
[http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/x14873.xml Edison International Chairman John E. Bryson to Deliver UCLA Anderson Commencement Address, June 16] {{Webarchive. link. (December 21, 2011, [[UCLA Anderson]], May 16, 2006)
Schiffman, Betsy. "John Bryson: Green At Heart, Greener In The Wallet". Forbes.
link. (March 14, 2006, [[Edison (company)). Edison International]]
(April 2023)
link. (August 14, 2011, [[Public Policy Institute of California]])
[http://whitehouse.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/31/obama-makes-it-official/ Obama makes it official] {{Webarchive. link. (March 25, 2021, Alexander Mooney, [[CNN]], May 31, 2011)
(July 12, 2011). "Senator vows to block Commerce nominee Bryson".
All 51 Democratic Senators and both independents voted for confirmation, but the Republican caucus split 21-26 against. See [[Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet#Confirmation roll call votes
(October 21, 2011). "Press Release, John Bryson Sworn In as 37th Secretary of Commerce".
"John Bryson will co-chair White House's manufacturing policy office".
(June 10, 2012). "Hit and Run Traffic Collision Investigation Involving U.S. Secretary of Commerce". [[Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department]]/San Gabriel Police Department.
Brian Day. (June 10, 2012). "Breaking: U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson suspected of felony hit-and-run following San Gabriel Valley crashes". [[Pasadena Star-News]].
(June 11, 2012). "Commerce Secretary John Bryson accused in hit-and-run crashes". [[Los Angeles Times]].
Heavey, Susan. (June 11, 2012). "U.S. Commerce secretary investigated for hit-and-run car crash". [[Reuters]].
(June 11, 2012). "Commerce agency: Secretary John Bryson had seizure linked to crashes". The Los Angeles Times.
(June 11, 2012). "White House: Bryson to take medical leave". USA Today.
(June 21, 2012). "John Bryson resigns as commerce secretary, citing recent seizure". [[The Washington Post]].
"Letter from Secretary Bryson to Commerce Employees".
(July 4, 2012). "John Bryson, former Commerce secretary, won't be charged in hit-runs". Los Angeles Times.
(July 4, 2012). "California: No Charges for Ex-Commerce Secretary". New York Times.
Wilson Center (2012). [https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/secretary-john-bryson-joins-wilson-center Secretary John Bryson Joins Wilson Center]. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
(June 11, 2012). "L.A. Now". Los Angeles Times.
(June 11, 2012). "Commerce Secretary Bryson faces tests after hit-and-runs". Los Angeles Times.
"John e Bryson and Louise H Bryson (Trustees) and Bryson (Trust) | 1370 Woodstock Road, San Marino, CA 91108".
(May 16, 2025). "Caltech Mourns the Passing of Trustee John E. Bryson (1943–2025)".

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