Suzanne Haley Woolsey (born 1941) was Chief Communications Officer for the publisher of the transphobic 2003 book The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey.
Background
Sue Woolsey is the wife of James Woolsey, who, among other things, served as Jimmy Carter’s first director of the CIA. He is also a notable neoconservative, though he reached that philosophy through a circuitous route through the corridors of liberal power.
Suzanne Woolsey’s 1970 dissertation was titled “Effects of experimenter race and segregated or desegregated school experience on some aspects of the social interaction of white and negro children.” Interestingly, experimenter effect is one of the chief scientific criticisms of the methodology used by Bailey, Blanchard, and Lawrence.
During the Carter Administration she served in high level positions in the Office of Management and Budget. During the Reagan Administration she worked outside of the government.
Woolsey began work at the National Academy of Science in 1989 as Executive Director of the Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences, responsible for oversight of all of the boards in those fields. Later she became chief operating officer of the NAS and then Chief Communications Officer.
Woolsey’s canned response
Woolsey sent the following form letter to anyone who wrote to express concern about the lack of science in J. Michael Bailey’s The Man Who Would Be Queen. I received my copy on 22 May 2003.
Office of Communications
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202 334 1212
Fax: 202 334 1210
E-mail: swoolsey@nas.edu
www.nationalacademies.orgWe have received your message about the book, The Man Who Would Be Queen, by J. Michael Bailey, and I am responding on behalf of the National Academies. We appreciate knowing of your concerns and recognize that the contents of this book are controversial. The copyright page of the book carries the following notice: “Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this volume are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Academy of Sciences or its affiliated institutions.” This statement applies to all books published by the Joseph Henry Press. Joseph Henry Press publications are not reports of the National Academies, but are individually authored works on topics related to science, engineering, and medicine.
In our opinion, the best response to writing with which one disagrees is more writing. Those who hold views contrary to those expressed in this book are encouraged to present and publish the evidence and reasoning in support of their conclusions.
Sincerely,
Suzanne H. Woolsey, Ph.D.
Chief Communications Officer
After the book controversy
In January 2004, she became a director of Fluor Corporation, which has $1.6 billion in Iraq related contracts. She also serves as a director of the Institute for Defense Analyses which also has war interests, and received modest compensation for that role according to the article.
The Woolseys’ overlapping affiliations are part of a growing pattern in Washington in which individuals play key roles in quasi-governmental organizations advising officials on major policy issues but also are involved with private businesses in related fields. Such activities generally are not covered by conflict of interest laws or ethics rules. But they underscore an insiders network in which contacts and relationships developed inside the government can meld with individual financial interests.
Suzanne Woolsey is also affiliated with other firms, including the Paladin Capital Group, a Washington venture capital firm in which her husband is a partner. Suzanne Woolsey did not respond to messages left for her at Paladin and at Fluor.
References
Roche, WF. Private, Public Roles Overlap in Washington. Los Angeles Times. 8 August 2004
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0815-06.htm
Holloway J, Boyette L. Fluor Adds Suzanne H. Woolsey to Board of Directors. Fluor website. 27 January 2004.
http://investor.fluor.com/visitors/print_release.cfm?ReleaseID=127565
Clemons SC. Woolsey’s web: Structure and corruption in Iraq. The Washington Note. 8 August 2004.
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000015.html