Commerce Secretary Ready to Depart

Commerce Secretary C. William Verity Jr. said Friday that he will not seek reappointment when George Bush becomes President on Jan. 20.

“He wants younger people, and I applaud him for that,” said Verity, who is 71. “I was retired when I took this job, and I guess I’ll be retired again.”

Verity, named commerce secretary in August, 1987, after Secretary Malcolm Baldrige was killed in a rodeo accident, said he is ready to help Bush in the transition to the new Administration.

Verity retired as chairman of the board of Armco Inc., a major steel firm, in 1982 but remained a member for another four years. He is a grandson of George M. Verity, who founded the firm.