William Verity, Jr.

Calvin William Verity Jr. ( born January 26, 1917 in Middletown, Ohio; † January 3, 2007 in Beaufort, South Carolina) was an American businessman and politician, the Cabinet of President Ronald Reagan as Trade Minister ( Secretary of Commerce ) belonged.

William Verity made ​​in 1939 with a BA in economics from Yale University. After that he worked for, which was founded by his grandfather steel companies Armco Steel, based in his hometown Middletown, before he joined the U.S. Navy and fought in World War II. It was used in the Pacific and attained the rank of Lieutenant.

In 1946 he retired from the military and returned to Armco. He initially held various directorships before he first Vice President of the company and in 1971 finally Chairman of the Board in 1964. In 1982 he retired from the company.

The previous year, he was appointed as Chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; In 1981, he also stood before the initiative, launched by President Reagan bipartisan working group on initiatives in the private sector. Moreover, he was 1979-1984 Vice Chairman of the Economic Council for trade relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.

After Minister of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige came in July 1987 in a riding accident, William Verity was appointed as his successor. He took office on 19 October 1987 and belonged to the cabinet until the end of Reagan's presidency in January 1989. During his tenure, he founded the Commerce Hall of Fame to honor valuable employees of the Ministry, and the Office of Space Commerce, through which the commercial use of outer space should be expanded.