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Ivan Selin

b. 1937

American government and business executive

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About Ivan Selin

Born 1937. Ivan Selin is an American.

Ivan Selin (born March 11, 1937) is an American businessman, and former chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Under Secretary of State for Management. Selin is a Fulbright Scholar and graduate of Yale University (PhD, Electrical Engineering, 1960) and University of Paris (Doctor of Science, Mathematics, 1962). He was born in New York City.

Early career From 1960 to 1965, Selin was a research engineer at the RAND Corporation, working on national security issues and statistical communication theory. In 1965, Selin went to work for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, one of Robert S. McNamara's Whiz Kids. From 1965 to 1970, Selin worked for McNamara, becoming Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Systems Analysis by the end of that period. While serving in this capacity, Selin represented the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the commissioning of the . He received the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal in 1970.

In 1970, Selin and several DOD colleagues co-founded American Management Systems, a technology and management consulting firm. Selin served as chief executive officer from the company's founding to the late 1980s.

Selin served as chairman of the Military Economic Advisory Panel to the Director of Central Intelligence (1978–1989); member (1979–1989) and chairman (1988–1989) of the board of governors of the United Nations Association-USA; member of the advisory board on the USSR and Eastern Europe at the National Academy of Sciences (1986–88); and member of the Council on Foreign Relations (1979–present).

Later public service Selin was Under Secretary of State for Management from May 23, 1989, to June 30, 1991. He received the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award in 1991.

On July 1, 1991, Selin became chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, serving in that capacity until he resigned on June 30, 1995. Selin was sworn in by outgoing NRC chairman Kenneth Monroe Carr and also had a ceremonial swearing-in ceremony at which Vice President Dan Quayle presided and Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor administered the oath. Selin was founding chairman of the board of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

For his government service, he received the Pentagon's Distinguished Civilian Service medal in 1970.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Paris, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, Yale University
Positions held
Under Secretary of State, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Awards
Fulbright Scholarship; Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award; Secretary's Distinguished Service Award

People in Ivan Selin's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ivan Selin's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ivan Selin?

American government and business executive

When was Ivan Selin born?

Ivan Selin was born on 11 March 1937 in New York City.

What nationality is Ivan Selin?

Ivan Selin is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Ivan Selin

Β· Wikidata: Q6097440

Β· DBpedia: Ivan Selin

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ivan Selin. https://biography.guide/ivan-selin/

MLA: "Ivan Selin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ivan-selin/.

Chicago: "Ivan Selin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ivan-selin/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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