John J. Creedon facts for kids
John Joseph Creedon (born August 1, 1924 – died October 11, 2020) was an important American businessman. He became the President and CEO of a very large company called Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, often known as MetLife.
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John Creedon's Early Life and Learning
John Creedon was the son of Bartholomew and Emma Glynn Creedon. He was very dedicated to his education. He went to New York University for both his college and law studies.
He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in 1952. Later, he received his law degrees, an LL.B. in 1955 and an LL.M. in 1962. In 1987, he was given a special honorary doctor of laws degree.
John Creedon's Amazing Career
John Creedon started working at MetLife in their group department. But first, he took a break to serve his country. From 1942, he spent three years in the United States Navy during World War II. He served on a ship called the USS Caliente (AO-53).
After the war, he returned to MetLife. While working, he also studied law at New York University in the evenings. In 1955, he became a lawyer on MetLife's legal team. He moved up quickly in the company. By 1973, he was a senior vice-president. In 1980, he became the president of MetLife. Then, in 1983, he was named the chief executive officer (CEO). He retired in 1989.
Even after retiring, he stayed involved with MetLife. He was a director until 1996 and a member of their Advisory Council until 2006.
Helping Other Companies and the Government
John Creedon also served on the boards of directors for many other big companies. These included Praxair, Rockwell International, and Union Carbide. This meant he helped guide these companies with his business knowledge.
During President Ronald Reagan's time in office, John Creedon helped the government. He was part of special commissions. One commission looked at salaries for government leaders. Another important one was the President's Commission on the HIV Epidemic.
In 1987, he led the American Council of Life Insurance. He also chaired the U.S. Savings Bonds campaign, encouraging people to save money. He even led campaigns for the Greater New York Blood Program.
Supporting Education and Law
John Creedon was a trustee for New York University. He also taught law there from 1962 to 1973. He was a trustee for the Practicing Law Institute.
He was a member of the New York City Bar Association and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was also president of the American Bar Foundation from 1980 to 1982. He wrote many articles for legal publications.
Honored by the Girl Scouts
In 1988, John Creedon was made an honorary Girl Scout. This was a special honor! A national training center for outdoor education was named after him. It was called the John J. Creedon Camp of Tomorrow. Today, it's known as the John J. Creedon Education Center. It is part of the Edith Macy Conference Center complex.
John Creedon's Personal Life
John Creedon was married to Diane Ardouin. They had twins, Jean-Philippe and Genevieve. From a previous marriage to Vivian Elser, he had four more children: Juliette, Michele, John, and David. In total, he had six children, twelve grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren!
For almost 30 years, John Creedon lived in Larchmont, New York. He was a member of the Larchmont Yacht Club.
John Creedon passed away in October 2020 at the age of 96.
