David Zeeger, who served as Assistant Secretary for MSHA during part of the Reagan administration, died Dec. 10. He was 90.
After a 30-year career in coal mining, Zeeger was named MSHA’s Assistant Secretary on Nov. 18, 1983. According to an obituary published in the Lexington Herald-Ledger, coal mining deaths decreased to unprecedented levels during Zeeger’s three-year tenure. Zeeger also represented the mining industry in debates with Robert Kennedy and Richard Trumpka, and he participated in MSHA Senate hearings with former Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) as chair.
Photo: David Zeeger
