John W. Snow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John W. Snow
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Official portrait, 2005
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| 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury | |
| In office February 3, 2003 – June 28, 2006 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | Kenneth W. Dam Samuel Bodman Robert M. Kimmitt |
| Preceded by | Paul H. O'Neill |
| Succeeded by | Henry Paulson |
| Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | |
| In office 1976–1977 |
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| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | James B. Gregory |
| Succeeded by | Joan Claybrook |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John William Snow
August 2, 1939 Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Carolyn Snow |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Toledo (BA) University of Virginia (MA, PhD) George Washington University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
John William Snow, born on August 2, 1939, is an American economist, lawyer, and businessman. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of CSX Corporation, a large transportation company. He also served as the 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury for U.S. President George W. Bush. He took on this important role on February 3, 2003, and left the position on June 28, 2006. After leaving government, Snow became the chairman of Cerberus Capital Management, a company that invests in businesses.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Snow was born in Toledo, Ohio. His mother, Catherine, was a school teacher, and his father, William Dean Snow, was a tax lawyer. John went to high school at Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Ohio.
He studied at Kenyon College and the University of Toledo, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962. He then earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in economics from the University of Virginia in 1965. In 1967, he completed his law degree (Juris Doctor) at the George Washington University Law School. After finishing his studies, he worked at a law firm in Washington, D.C. until 1972.
Career Highlights
From 1965 to 1968, John Snow taught economics as an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Government Roles
In 1972, Snow began working for the U.S. government while also teaching law at George Washington University Law School. He held several positions in the United States Department of Transportation.
- From 1972 to 1973, he was an assistant general counsel.
- From 1973 to 1974, he was a deputy assistant secretary.
- From 1974 to 1975, he served as assistant secretary for governmental affairs.
In 1975, Snow took on a full-time role as deputy undersecretary in the Department of Transportation. In 1976, he became the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This agency works to keep roads and vehicles safe.
When Jimmy Carter became president in 1977, Snow left public service. He spent some time as a visiting professor at the University of Virginia and as a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He was also a Distinguished Fellow at the Yale School of Management from 1978 to 1980.
Railway Industry Leadership
Snow's experience in transportation was very helpful when he joined the railway industry in 1977. He became the Vice President of Governmental Affairs for Chessie System. This company owned three major railroads: the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, the Western Maryland Railway, and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
In 1980, Chessie System merged with another company to form CSX Corporation. Snow became a Senior Vice President at CSX. He was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1984.
In 1985, Snow became the president and CEO of CSX's B&O Railroad. He oversaw its merger with the C&O Railway in 1986, creating CSX Transportation. Snow became the president and CEO of this new railroad company. In 1988, he moved to lead the main holding company, CSX Corporation, as President and Chief Operating Officer. By April 1989, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of CSX. He also became the chairman in 1991. He held all these top positions until he was chosen to be the Secretary of the Treasury in 2003.
During his time at CSX, some parts of the company were sold. For example, CSX Lines was sold in early 2003. After Snow left for the White House, CSX also sold its international port operations.
Public Service and Business Groups
Even while working in the private sector, John Snow continued to serve the public.
- In 1980, he advised Ronald Reagan during his presidential campaign on rules and regulations.
- After Reagan won, Snow helped with the transition team for transportation.
Snow also served on many important groups and commissions:
- The White House Conference for a Drug-Free America.
- The Services Policy Advisory Committee for U.S. trade.
- He co-chaired the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement.
- He was part of the National Commission on Intermodal Transportation.
- He served on the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform.
- He was a Trustee of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
- He was a Member of the Richmond City School Board.
From 1994 to 1996, he was the Chairman of the Business Roundtable. This is a group of 250 CEOs from America's largest companies. He played a big part in supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Other Affiliations
John Snow has been involved with many other organizations.
- He was on the Executive Committee of The Business Council.
- He was part of the Virginia Business Council and the National Coal Council.
- He served as a director for companies like NationsBank Corp., Textron Inc., USX Corporation, Verizon Communications, and the Association of American Railroads.
- He was the first Chairman of the Center for Energy and Economic Development (CEED), which supported the coal and rail industries.
He has also served on the boards of trustees for Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation.
In October 2006, Snow became the chairman of Cerberus Capital Management. In August 2007, he was named the first Newman Visiting Fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. In 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of Marathon Petroleum Corporation.
Since 1992, John Snow has been a strong supporter of Israel.
Secretary of the Treasury
President George W. Bush nominated John Snow to be the Secretary of the Treasury on January 13, 2003. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination unanimously.
In the summer of 2003, Snow, along with Labor Secretary Elaine Chao and Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, traveled across the country on a "Jobs and Growth Tour." Their goal was to explain the benefits of the Bush Administration's tax cuts to people.
On May 26, 2006, John Snow announced that he would resign from his position. On May 30, it was formally announced that he would leave the role. On the same day, President George W. Bush nominated Henry Paulson, who was the CEO of Goldman Sachs, to take Snow's place. Snow completed his last day on the job on June 29, 2006.
Current Activities
John Snow is a member of the board for IAG (International Consolidated Airlines Group S.A.). This company was formed when Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España S.A and British Airways Plc merged.
In April 2016, he was one of eight former Treasury secretaries who publicly asked the United Kingdom to remain a member of the European Union. This was before the June 2016 Referendum.
Personal Life
John Snow lives in Richmond, Virginia. He was married to Carolyn (Kalk), who passed away on June 5, 2024. They have three children: Ian Snow, Bradley Snow, and Christopher. He also has twelve grandchildren.
His college, Kenyon College, gave him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1993. He has also received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Yale School of Management named him a Distinguished Fellow.
See also
In Spanish: John W. Snow para niños
