11 Facts About Drew Lewis

Drew Lewis was United States Secretary of Transportation in the first portion of the administration of US President Ronald W Reagan, and is best known for presiding over the firing of the striking US air traffic controllers in 1981.

Drew Lewis received his Bachelor of Science in 1953 from Haverford College in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and in 1955 his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.

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.

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

Drew Lewis became involved in politics through a friend, Richard S Schweiker, for whom he managed successful campaigns for the US House of Representatives and US Senate.

Drew 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.

In 1983, Lewis was hired as chairman and CEO of Warner-Amex Cable Communications, the joint venture between the then Warner Communications and American Express, succeeding Gustave M Hauser.

In 1986, Drew Lewis appeared at the commencement exercises of his alma mater, Haverford College, to be awarded an honorary doctorate degree.

Drew Lewis said he did so out of respect for the Quaker tradition of making decisions by consensus.

However, Drew Lewis turned down the President's request, and the job was filled by Howard Baker.

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