Statement from NENSC Co-Chairs, Hon. Daniel Poneman, ADM (ret.) Richard Mies, and Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Legacy of Ambassador Thomas Graham
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2026
Statement from NENSC Co-Chairs, Hon. Daniel Poneman, ADM (ret.) Richard Mies, and Executive Director Jay Tilden on the Legacy of Ambassador Thomas Graham
WASHINGTON, D.C. — All of us at NENSC are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Ambassador (ret.) Thomas Graham Jr., at the age of 92. He served as the founding Co-Chair of the Coalition from 2019 to 2024, where he was dedicated to advancing U.S. national security interests through a robust civil nuclear enterprise.
“Tom Graham was a patriot and an outstanding public servant, loyally serving six presidents and demonstrating that nuclear security, arms control, and nonproliferation can and must rise above partisan considerations,” said Co-Chair Daniel Poneman. “He was a good friend and valued colleague who continued his contributions after leaving government, including his leadership at the founding of the Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition. We will miss his wisdom and guidance.”
After graduating Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Ambassador Graham dedicated his career and energies to the nation serving in the State Department as a diplomat of the highest caliber, finding himself at the center of international arms control and non-proliferation negotiations for the United States, including the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, the START I and START II Treaties, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Ambassador Graham also served over a decade as the general counsel and almost a year, in 1993, as the acting director of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. President Clinton later appointed him as Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation, and Disarmament from 1994 to 1997, where Ambassador Graham led the U.S. government's effort that secured the permanent extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995.
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The Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition (NENSC) is an independent organization of leading national security experts dedicated to leveraging U.S. nuclear energy to advance U.S. national security interests. NENSC is dedicated to expanding recognition of this interdependence among policymakers at all levels and promoting policies that ensure a robust U.S. nuclear energy enterprise.