Frederic B. Ingram

Frederic B. Ingram
Born	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died
Other names	Fritz Ingram
Occupation(s)	Businessman, heir
Years active	1952–1980s
Known for	Chairman of Ingram Corp., convicted of bribery in Chicago sewage contract scandal

Frederic B. Ingram, also known as Fritz Ingram, was an American-born businessman and heir of Irish nationality, belonging to the Ingram family from Nashville, Tennessee. He was found guilty of bribing public officials in connection with a sewage contract in Chicago and served 16 months in prison before President Jimmy Carter commuted his sentence in 1980. Following this, Ingram gave up his U.S. citizenship, became an Irish national, and settled in California.

Early life

Raised within the influential Ingram business family in Nashville, Tennessee, Frederic B. Ingram was the son of prominent entrepreneur Orrin Henry Ingram, Sr. and Hortense Bigelow. He had a brother, E. Bronson Ingram II, who passed away in 1995.

The Ingram lineage can be traced back to David Ingram, an immigrant from Leeds, England, arriving in 1780. On his paternal side, his great-grandfather Orrin Henry Ingram and grandfather Erskine B. Ingram were both lumber industry magnates based in Wisconsin.

Ingram attended Phillips Exeter Academy and completed his higher education at Princeton University in 1952 after initial studies at Vanderbilt University.

Career

After their father's death in 1963, Ingram and his brother inherited control of Ingram Corp., with Frederic assuming the role of Chairman. In 1970, he purchased Great Plains Construction Co., a company specializing in oil and gas pipeline as well as water line construction headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. This firm became part of Ingram Corp. and was responsible for building sections 5 and 6 of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, constructing a pipeline in Iran, and bidding on projects in Saudi Arabia.

In 1976, both brothers faced indictment for bribery related to a "$48 million Chicago sewage contract." While his brother was cleared of charges, Frederic was convicted on 29 counts and sentenced to four years in federal prison. He served 16 months before President Jimmy Carter commuted his sentence in December 1980; he was released by May 1981.

The brothers divided their business ventures in 1980: Frederic retained the oil operations segment while his brother took control of the distribution division. However, Frederic encountered severe financial setbacks, reportedly losing $100 million within six weeks during 1983.

In 1985, he won a legal case against William F. Earthman, former Chairman of Nashville’s Commerce Union Bank, concerning repayment issues on a private loan.

Personal life and death

Following his sentence commutation, Ingram renounced his U.S. citizenship and initially moved to Monaco. He later relocated to Ireland where he acquired Irish citizenship. His lifestyle was supported by income from a US$150 million trust fund based in Liechtenstein until the collapse of Ingram Corp. in 1984 due to major losses in oil trading.

In 1982, he faced allegations of raping a 25-year-old woman in New Orleans; a jury at the Civil District Court of Orleans Parish awarded her US$350,000.

He was married to Swedish model and actress Ingrid Goude, with whom he resided in Beverly Hills, California.

Frederic B. Ingram passed away on August 26, 2015.

See also

• List of individuals granted presidential pardons or clemency in the United States