Dr. Walter E. Massey, former director of Argonne National Laboratory, was elected chairman of the Bank of America after a vote held by shareholders.

Massey, who also served as vice president for research and professor of physics at the University, held a myriad of academic positions before turning to the private sector. He has served as the director of the National Science Foundation, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of California and president of Morehouse College in Atlanta.

Massey was elected by shareholders after they had stripped Michael D. Lewis of the position. There’s a picture of him in an article in the New York Times on the ouster. He seems like a cool guy, although he has not commented on his appointment.

According to RiskMetrics Group, this is the first time an S&P 500 company has had to force out its CEO because of demand by shareholders.

Massey is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Council on Foreign Relations and has served as president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and vice president of the American Physical Society.