Holding a PhD from Stanford University in economic research, Brinegar had previously been an oil company executive.

Following her marriage, in 1932, to Butler Brinegar, the boy had a disjointed education, attending a different school each year as his stepfather moved around Northern California for jobs with the Works Progress Administration and other agencies.

He was also elected senior vice president of the firm and a member of Union Oil's board of directors and executive committee.

Dr. Brinegar was the third person to take the post of Secretary of Transportation and followed John A. Volpe, a former governor in Massachusetts.

Brinegar had never held political office before taking this post, but cited his education and experience as a consumer as credentials that made him suitable for the job.

He was quoted “I've flown a million miles in the last seven years, and I've sat on the Harbor Freeway for hours in traffic jams”, implying that his firsthand knowledge of the issues regarding transportation would help him find effective solutions.