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In the 1950s he held several positions at Henkels and McCoy, Inc. In the 1960s he rose up the ranks of [[National Gypsum|National Gypsum Company]], becoming their assistant chairman in 1969. From 1972 to 1974 he was president and [[Chief Executive Officer]] (CEO) of Snelling and Snelling, Inc. In 1971, he was appointed as [[trustee in bankruptcy]] (along with [[Richardson Dilworth]]) for the [[Reading Company]], the railroad company headquartered in Philadelphia, and guided the company through its successful reorganization and discharge from bankruptcy in 1980.<ref name="Gannett">Gannett Company, Arlington, Virginia (1995-06-20) [http://www.gannett.com/article/99999999/PRESSRELEASES17/100721012/Drew-Lewis-named-to-board-of-directors "Drew Lewis named to board of directors."]</ref>
In the 1950s he held several positions at Henkels and McCoy, Inc. In the 1960s he rose up the ranks of [[National Gypsum|National Gypsum Company]], becoming their assistant chairman in 1969. From 1972 to 1974 he was president and [[Chief Executive Officer]] (CEO) of Snelling and Snelling, Inc. In 1971, he was appointed as [[trustee in bankruptcy]] (along with [[Richardson Dilworth]]) for the [[Reading Company]], the railroad company headquartered in Philadelphia, and guided the company through its successful reorganization and discharge from bankruptcy in 1980.<ref name="Gannett">Gannett Company, Arlington, Virginia (1995-06-20) [http://www.gannett.com/article/99999999/PRESSRELEASES17/100721012/Drew-Lewis-named-to-board-of-directors "Drew Lewis named to board of directors."]</ref>


From 1974 to 1981 he headed Lewis and Associates, a business consulting firm. During the 1960s and 1970s, he served in several political capacities: county committee member, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party's finance committee, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for [[Governor of Pennsylvania|governor]] in 1974, chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation to the [[1976 Republican National Convention]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], and the deputy chairman of the [[Republican National Committee]].<ref name="DOT Bio" /> During the 1976 Republican presidential campaign, Lewis, as head of the powerful Pennsylvania delegation, had backed [[Gerald Ford]], over challenger Ronald Reagan.{{citation needed|date = April 2016}} At the Republican convention, Reagan announced that if nominated he would name [[Richard Schweiker|Richard S. Schweiker]], Lewis' good friend, as his running mate. Lewis had already committed to Ford and so honored his word, and kept his delegation in line to help nominate Ford as the Republican candidate. Reagan remembered his loyalty in 1980, and appointed Lewis to head his Pennsylvania campaign organization.{{Citation needed|date = April 2016}}
From 1974 to 1981 he headed Lewis and Associates, a business consulting firm. He became involved in politics through a friend, [[Richard Schweiker|Richard S. Schweiker]], for whom he managed successful campaigns for the [[U.S. House of Representatives]] and [[U.S. Senate]].<ref name = "WaPoObit" /> During the 1960s and 1970s, he served in several political capacities: county committee member, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party's finance committee, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] candidate for [[Governor of Pennsylvania|governor]] in 1974, chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation to the [[1976 Republican National Convention]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], and the deputy chairman of the [[Republican National Committee]].<ref name="DOT Bio" /> ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' described him as "among the two or three most powerful Republicans in Pennsylvania and one of the most powerful in the Northeast."<ref name = WaPoObit" /> During the 1976 Republican presidential campaign, Lewis, as head of the powerful Pennsylvania delegation, had backed [[Gerald Ford]], over challenger Ronald Reagan.{{citation needed|date = April 2016}} At the Republican convention, Reagan announced that if nominated he would name Richard Schweiker, Lewis' friend, as his running mate. Lewis had already committed to Ford and so honored his word, and kept his delegation in line to help nominate Ford as the Republican candidate. Reagan remembered his loyalty in 1980, and appointed Lewis to head his Pennsylvania campaign organization.{{Citation needed|date = April 2016}}


In 1980, Lewis served as Reagan's Pennsylvania campaign chairman.<ref name = "WaPoObit" /> When Reagan was elected President, he named Lewis as his Secretary of Transportation, where he served from 1981 to 1983. During his tenure, the [[Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968)#August 1981 strike|1981 air traffic controllers strike]] occurred. When the strikers defied Reagan's threat to fire them, it was Lewis who announced their controversial ''en masse'' dismissal.<ref name = "WaPoObit" /> Another milestone was the enactment of the [[Surface Transportation Assistance Act]] of 1982, which included a gasoline tax increase and [[user fee]]s to pay for improvements.<ref name="DOT Bio" /><ref name = "WaPoObit" />
In 1980, Lewis served as Reagan's Pennsylvania campaign chairman.<ref name = "WaPoObit" /> When Reagan was elected President, he named Lewis as his Secretary of Transportation, where he served from 1981 to 1983. During his tenure, the [[Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (1968)#August 1981 strike|1981 air traffic controllers strike]] occurred despite his efforts to avoid it. When the strikers defied Reagan's threat to fire them if they did not return to work, it was Lewis who announced their controversial ''en masse'' dismissal.<ref name = "WaPoObit" /> Another milestone was the enactment of the [[Surface Transportation Assistance Act]] of 1982, which included a gasoline tax increase and [[user fee]]s to pay for improvements.<ref name="DOT Bio" /><ref name = "WaPoObit" /> By the time he left Washington, ''The Washington Post'' reported that Lewis was "generally regarded here as the most able domestic Cabinet officer in the administration."<ref name = "WaPoObit" />


In 1983, Lewis was hired as chairman and CEO of Warner-Amex Cable Communications (WACCI), the joint venture between the then [[Warner Communications]] and [[American Express]], succeeding Gustave M. Hauser.<ref>{{cite news |title=Business People: Warner Amex Cable Cuts 57 More Positions |first= |last= |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/17/business/business-people-warner-amex-cable-cuts-57-more-positions.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=1983-05-17}}</ref> In this role, he was also chairman of the WACCI subsidiary, [[Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment|Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company]] (WASEC), which eventually became known as [[MTV Networks]] after a [[public offering]] in 1984.
In 1983, Lewis was hired as chairman and CEO of Warner-Amex Cable Communications (WACCI), the joint venture between the then [[Warner Communications]] and [[American Express]], succeeding Gustave M. Hauser.<ref>{{cite news |title=Business People: Warner Amex Cable Cuts 57 More Positions |first= |last= |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/17/business/business-people-warner-amex-cable-cuts-57-more-positions.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=1983-05-17}}</ref> In this role, he was also chairman of the WACCI subsidiary, [[Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment|Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company]] (WASEC), which eventually became known as [[MTV Networks]] after a [[public offering]] in 1984.{{citation needed|date = April 2016}}


In April 1986, about the time Warner Communications sold its interest in MTV Networks, and purchased American Express's share of Warner Amex Cable (renaming it [[Warner Cable]]), Drew Lewis left WACCI to become Chairman and CEO of the [[Union Pacific Railroad]].
In April 1986, about the time Warner Communications sold its interest in MTV Networks, and purchased American Express's share of Warner Amex Cable (renaming it [[Warner Cable]]), Drew Lewis left WACCI to become Chairman and CEO of the [[Union Pacific Railroad]].{{citation needed|date = April 2016}}


In October 1986, he became president and CEO of the parent Union Pacific Corporation. One year later, on October 1, 1987, he became Chairman and CEO of Union Pacific Corporation, succeeding William S. Cook.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lewis to Head Union Pacific |first= |last= |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/25/business/lewis-to-head-union-pacific.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=1987-09-25}}</ref> He served in that post until 1997.<ref name="DOT Bio" />
In October 1986, he became president and CEO of the parent Union Pacific Corporation. One year later, on October 1, 1987, he became Chairman and CEO of Union Pacific Corporation, succeeding William S. Cook.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lewis to Head Union Pacific |first= |last= |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/25/business/lewis-to-head-union-pacific.html |newspaper=New York Times |date=1987-09-25}}</ref> He served in that post until 1997.<ref name="DOT Bio" />


Since then he sat on the boards of [[American Express]], [[Ford Motor Company]], [[Gannett Company]], and [[SmithKline Beecham]].<ref name="DOT Bio" /><ref name="Gannett" />
In later years, Lewis sat on the boards of [[American Express]], [[Ford Motor Company]], [[Gannett Company]], and [[SmithKline Beecham]].<ref name="DOT Bio" /><ref name="Gannett" />


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 01:56, 4 April 2016

Drew Lewis
7th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office
January 23, 1981 – February 1, 1983
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byNeil Goldschmidt
Succeeded byElizabeth Dole
Personal details
Born
Andrew Lindsay Lewis, Jr.

(1931-11-03)November 3, 1931
Broomall, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 10, 2016(2016-02-10) (aged 84)
Prescott, Arizona, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseMarilyn Stoughton
ChildrenKaren
Andrew
Russell
Alma materHaverford College
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Andrew Lindsay Lewis, Jr. (November 3, 1931 – February 10, 2016), known as Drew Lewis, was an American businessman and politician from the state of Pennsylvania. He was United States Secretary of Transportation in the first portion of the administration of U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan, and is best known for presiding over the firing of the striking U.S. air traffic controllers in 1981.

Life and education

Andrew Lindsay Lewis, Jr., was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on November 3, 1931.[1] He received his Bachelor of Science in 1953 from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and in 1955 his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.[2] He did postgraduate work at MIT in 1968. In June 1950, he married the former Marilyn Stoughton, a Republican former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The Lewises had four children together and fourteen grandchildren; son Andrew L. Lewis, III, died in infancy.[1]. His son Andrew "Andy" Lewis, IV, served as a township commissioner in Haverford Township between 2004 and 2007 and was elected in 2007 to the Delaware County Council. Lewis's sister, Floy Lewis Bakes, graduated from Ursinus College; he donated $3 million to Ursinus to build a field house, which became the Floy Lewis Bakes Center.[3]

At the time of his nomination for Transportation Secretary, he was a member of the Schwenkfelder Church.[4]

Lewis died of complications from pneumonia in Prescott, Arizona on February 10, 2016, at the age of 84.[5]

Career

In the 1950s he held several positions at Henkels and McCoy, Inc. In the 1960s he rose up the ranks of National Gypsum Company, becoming their assistant chairman in 1969. From 1972 to 1974 he was president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Snelling and Snelling, Inc. In 1971, he was appointed as trustee in bankruptcy (along with Richardson Dilworth) for the Reading Company, the railroad company headquartered in Philadelphia, and guided the company through its successful reorganization and discharge from bankruptcy in 1980.[6]

From 1974 to 1981 he headed Lewis and Associates, a business consulting firm. He became involved in politics through a friend, Richard S. Schweiker, for whom he managed successful campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.[1] During the 1960s and 1970s, he served in several political capacities: county committee member, chairman of the Pennsylvania Republican Party's finance committee, Republican candidate for governor in 1974, chairman of the Pennsylvania delegation to the 1976 Republican National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, and the deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee.[2] The Philadelphia Inquirer described him as "among the two or three most powerful Republicans in Pennsylvania and one of the most powerful in the Northeast."[7] During the 1976 Republican presidential campaign, Lewis, as head of the powerful Pennsylvania delegation, had backed Gerald Ford, over challenger Ronald Reagan.[citation needed] At the Republican convention, Reagan announced that if nominated he would name Richard Schweiker, Lewis' friend, as his running mate. Lewis had already committed to Ford and so honored his word, and kept his delegation in line to help nominate Ford as the Republican candidate. Reagan remembered his loyalty in 1980, and appointed Lewis to head his Pennsylvania campaign organization.[citation needed]

In 1980, Lewis served as Reagan's Pennsylvania campaign chairman.[1] When Reagan was elected President, he named Lewis as his Secretary of Transportation, where he served from 1981 to 1983. During his tenure, the 1981 air traffic controllers strike occurred despite his efforts to avoid it. When the strikers defied Reagan's threat to fire them if they did not return to work, it was Lewis who announced their controversial en masse dismissal.[1] Another milestone was the enactment of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, which included a gasoline tax increase and user fees to pay for improvements.[2][1] By the time he left Washington, The Washington Post reported that Lewis was "generally regarded here as the most able domestic Cabinet officer in the administration."[1]

In 1983, Lewis was hired as chairman and CEO of Warner-Amex Cable Communications (WACCI), the joint venture between the then Warner Communications and American Express, succeeding Gustave M. Hauser.[8] In this role, he was also chairman of the WACCI subsidiary, Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), which eventually became known as MTV Networks after a public offering in 1984.[citation needed]

In April 1986, about the time Warner Communications sold its interest in MTV Networks, and purchased American Express's share of Warner Amex Cable (renaming it Warner Cable), Drew Lewis left WACCI to become Chairman and CEO of the Union Pacific Railroad.[citation needed]

In October 1986, he became president and CEO of the parent Union Pacific Corporation. One year later, on October 1, 1987, he became Chairman and CEO of Union Pacific Corporation, succeeding William S. Cook.[9] He served in that post until 1997.[2]

In later years, Lewis sat on the boards of American Express, Ford Motor Company, Gannett Company, and SmithKline Beecham.[2][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Langer, Emily (12 February 2016). "Drew Lewis, transportation secretary during air traffic controllers strike, dies at 84". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C. (2009-03-01). "Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries of Transportation."
  3. ^ Cech, Scott (4 December 1997). "Couple To Donate $3 Million To Ursinus For Field House". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Transportation Secretary Confirmation Hearing". C-SPAN. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
  5. ^ William Grimes (February 12, 2016). "Drew Lewis, Transportation Secretary During Air Controllers' Strike, Dies at 84". The New York Times.com. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Gannett Company, Arlington, Virginia (1995-06-20) "Drew Lewis named to board of directors."
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference WaPoObit" was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Business People: Warner Amex Cable Cuts 57 More Positions". New York Times. 1983-05-17.
  9. ^ "Lewis to Head Union Pacific". New York Times. 1987-09-25.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania
1974 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by United States Secretary of Transportation
1981–1983 		Succeeded by
Business positions
Preceded by President of Union Pacific Railroad
1986–1987 		Succeeded by
CEO of Union Pacific Railroad
1986–1997 		Succeeded by
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