Andrew L. Lewis, Jr.

Andrew Lindsay Lewis Jr., known professionally as Drew Lewis, was an American businessman and public servant who served as the United States Secretary of Transportation from 1981 to 1983 under President Ronald Reagan. His tenure is most noted for overseeing the dismissal of striking air‑traffic controllers in 1981 and for guiding transportation policy during a period of significant federal investment in infrastructure. After leaving Washington, Lewis held senior executive positions in major corporations, including Warner‑Amex Cable Communications and Union Pacific Corporation, before retiring from public life.

Early life and career

Andrew L. Lewis Jr. was born on November 3, 1931, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and grew up in the nearby community of Broomall. He completed his undergraduate studies at Haverford College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1953. Two years later he obtained a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University, followed by postgraduate work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968.

Lewis entered the business world in the early 1950s, holding various positions with Henkels and McCoy, Inc. In the subsequent decade he advanced within National Gypsum Company, attaining the role of assistant chairman in 1969. From 1972 to 1974 he served as president and chief executive officer of Snelling and Snelling, Inc., before founding his own consulting firm, Lewis and Associates, which operated from 1974 until his appointment to federal office in 1981.

His early career also included a significant role in the restructuring of the Reading Company. In 1971 he was appointed as a trustee in bankruptcy alongside Richardson Dilworth, guiding the railroad through reorganization that culminated in its discharge from bankruptcy in 1980.

Lewis’s involvement in politics began through his friendship with Richard S. Schweiker, for whom he managed successful campaigns to the United States House of Representatives and Senate. He served as a county committee member, chaired the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s finance committee, ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 1974, led the state delegation at the 1976 Republican National Convention, and held the position of deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee. In 1976 he supported Gerald Ford over Ronald Reagan during the presidential campaign; his loyalty to Ford was later acknowledged by Reagan when Lewis was chosen to head Reagan’s Pennsylvania campaign organization in 1980.

In June 1950, Lewis married Marilyn Stoughton, a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The couple had four children and fourteen grandchildren. One son, Andrew L. Lewis III, died in infancy. Another son, Andrew “Andy” Lewis IV, later served as township commissioner for Haverford Township (2004–2007) and was elected to the Delaware County Council in 2007.

Cabinet tenure

In 1980 Lewis chaired President Reagan’s campaign organization in Pennsylvania. Following Reagan’s election, he was appointed United States Secretary of Transportation, a position he held from 1981 until 1983 after confirmation by the Senate. During his term, Lewis faced one of the most contentious labor disputes in federal history: the 1981 strike by air‑traffic controllers. When the striking workers defied President Reagan’s threat to terminate their employment if they did not return to work, Lewis announced the dismissal of the entire group.

Lewis also oversaw the implementation of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, a federal initiative that increased gasoline taxes and introduced user fees to fund improvements in transportation infrastructure. By the time he departed Washington, reports described him as one of the most capable domestic cabinet officers within the administration.

Legacy

After leaving the Department of Transportation, Lewis transitioned back into the private sector. In 1983 he became chairman and chief executive officer of Warner‑Amex Cable Communications (WACCI), a joint venture between Warner Communications and American Express. He also chaired WACCI’s subsidiary, Warner‑Amex Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), which later evolved into MTV Networks following its public offering in 1984.

In April 1986, when Warner Communications sold its interest in MTV Networks and acquired the remaining stake of Warner Amex Cable—renamed Warner Cable—Lewis departed WACCI to assume leadership of Union Pacific Corporation. He became president and chief executive officer of the railroad company’s parent corporation in October 1986 and was promoted to chairman and chief executive officer on October 1, 1987, succeeding William S. Cook. Lewis held that dual role until 1997.

During his time at Union Pacific, Lewis also served on the boards of several major corporations, including American Express, Ford Motor Company, Gannett Company, and SmithKline Beecham. In February 1987, President Reagan requested that he return to the White House as chief of staff following Donald T. Regan’s resignation; Lewis declined the offer.

Lewis’s personal life reflected his values: in 1986 he attended the commencement exercises at Haverford College and was offered an honorary doctorate degree. He declined the honor after learning that a significant portion of faculty opposed awarding it due to his actions during the air‑traffic controller strike, citing respect for Quaker consensus decision‑making traditions.

Andrew L. Lewis Jr. passed away on February 10, 2016, in Prescott, Arizona, at the age of 84, following complications from pneumonia. His career spanned significant roles in industry and government, and his actions during the early 1980s remain a notable part of United States transportation history.