Robert Frederick Froehlke
| Robert Frederick Froehlke | |
|---|---|
Robert Frederick Froehlke
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| 10th United States Secretary of the Army | |
| In office July 1971 – May 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Stanley R. Resor |
| Succeeded by | Howard H. Callaway |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 15, 1922 Neenah, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy J. Barnes Froehlke (married 1949)[1] |
| Children | Bruce, Jane, Ann, Scott |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–Madison University of Wisconsin Law School |
| Occupation | Attorney Insurance Executive |
Robert Frederick Froehlke (born October 15, 1922) is a United States businessman, lawyer, and government official who served as Secretary of the Army from July 1971 until May 1973.[2]
Early life
Froehlke was born in Neenah, Wisconsin on October 15, 1922. He graduated from high school in Marshfield, and attended the University of Wisconsin from 1940 to 1943. He left college to join the United States Army for World War II, serving at an Infantry Replacement Center in Europe and attaining the rank of captain before being discharged in 1946.[3]
Start of career
After the war Froehlke attended the University of Wisconsin Law School. He graduated in 1949, was admitted to the bar, and practiced in Madison, Wisconsin with the firm of MacDonald and MacDonald. He also served as a member of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin Law School.[4]
In 1951, Froehlke joined the legal department of the Sentry Insurance Company and he later became an executive with the company. A longtime friend of Melvin R. Laird, he managed Laird's congressional campaigns. When Laird became Secretary of Defense, Froehlke was appointed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Administration. He served until 1971 and during his tenure he was assigned responsibility for all Department of Defense intelligence resources and he was chairman of the Defense Investigative Review Council.[5][6][7]
Secretary of the Army
Froehlke became Secretary of the Army in July 1971 and served until May 1973. Under his administration, the Army redeployed its last troops from Vietnam and converted from the draft to an all-volunteer force. In addition, Army administration of the Ryukyu Islands was ended, and U.S. biological warfare facilities were closed in order to comply with international treaties and conventions.[8]
As Secretary of the Army, Froehlke also was responsible for the action changing from dishonorable to honorable the discharges of the African-American soldiers who had been falsely accused of crimes in the 1906 Brownsville Affair.[9]
Later career
After resigning as Secretary of the Army, Froehlke returned to Sentry, serving as the company's president. From 1975 to 1980 he was president of the Health Insurance Association of America and from 1980 to 1982 he was president of the American Council of Life Insurers. He was chairman of the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States from 1982 to 1987 and president and chief executive officer of the IDS Mutual Fund Group from 1987 to 1993.[10][11]
In retirement Froehlke resided in Minneapolis, where he was active in raising funds for civic and charitable causes and donated to Republican candidates for office.[12][13] He later relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona.[14]
References
- ↑ U.S. Government Printing Office, Hearing Record: Nominations of Froehlke, Shillito, and Lincoln, 1969, page 3
- ↑ Laird Center, Biographical Sketch
- ↑ U.S. Government Printing Office, Biography, Hearing Record: Nomination of Robert F. Froehlke to be Secretary of the Army, 1971, page 2
- ↑ Western Publishing Company, Directory of Teachers in Member Schools, 1950, page 122
- ↑ U.S. Government Printing Office, Biography, Hearing Record: Department of Defense Appropriations for 1971, 1970, page 554
- ↑ New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, 1969, page 366
- ↑ Deborah Nelson, The War Behind Me: Vietnam Veterans Confront the Truth about U. S. War Crimes, 2008, unnumbered page
- ↑ William Gardner Bell, Center of Military History, Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits & Biographical Sketches, 2003, page 150
- ↑ EBONY Magazine, The Brownsville Affair, March 1973, page 31
- ↑ Roberts Publishing Corporation, Insurance Advocate, Volume 87, 1976, page 40
- ↑ Dun & Bradstreet, Reference Book of Corporate Managements, Volumes 1-3, 1991, page 1280
- ↑ Laird Center for Medical Research, Biography, Robert Froehlke, retrieved May 30, 2014
- ↑ City-Data.com, Minneapolis, Minnesota Political Contributions by Individuals, retrieved May 30, 2014
- ↑ Funeral Innovations, Obituary, Suzanne (Sue) Barnes Ryden, May 15, 2014
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Army July 1971 – May 1973 |
Succeeded by Howard H. Callaway |
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U.S. Secretaries of War and the Army
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| U.S. Department of War (1789–1949) |
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| U.S. Department of the Army (1949–present) |
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- 1922 births
- Living people
- People from Madison, Wisconsin
- People from Marshfield, Wisconsin
- People from Neenah, Wisconsin
- People from Minneapolis, Minnesota
- People from Scottsdale, Arizona
- University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
- University of Wisconsin Law School alumni
- University of Wisconsin Law School faculty
- Nixon administration personnel
- United States Secretaries of the Army
- Businesspeople from Wisconsin
- Wisconsin lawyers
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- American military personnel of World War II
- United States Army officers
- United States government biography stubs
