Henry H. Fowler

Henry H. Fowler
Henry H. Fowler
Born	Henry Hammill Fowler; 5 September 1908 (age 118); Roanoke, Virginia, U.S.
Died	3 January 2000 (aged 91); Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Attorney, public official
Years active	1934–1968
Known for	United States Secretary of the Treasury

Henry Hammill Fowler (September 5, 1908 – January 3, 2000) was an American attorney and public official who held the position of United States Secretary of the Treasury during President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration.

A native of Roanoke, Virginia, Fowler completed his undergraduate studies at Roanoke College before obtaining his law degree from Yale Law School. Following a short period at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., he became part of the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) legal team in 1934, where he played a significant role in defending the program’s constitutional validity. Throughout his career, Fowler occupied prominent government positions such as Assistant General Counsel at the Office of Production Management and Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization. After his public service tenure, he returned to private legal practice and later became a partner at Goldman Sachs.

Fowler passed away from pneumonia in Alexandria, Virginia in 2000 at the age of 91.

Early life and career

Born on September 5, 1908, in Roanoke, Virginia, Henry Hammill Fowler was the son of Mack Johnson Fowler, who worked as a locomotive engineer, and Bertha (née Browning). He graduated from Jefferson High School in 1925 and then earned his bachelor's degree from Roanoke College in 1929. During college, he was active in Pi Kappa Phi, engaged in athletics, and served as editor for the campus newspaper. He completed his legal education at Yale Law School in 1933.

After a brief stint with Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., Fowler joined the legal department of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1934. His efforts were instrumental in upholding the TVA’s constitutionality through legal challenges. By 1939, he advanced to Assistant General Counsel of the TVA and later acted as chief counsel for a subcommittee under the U.S. Senate Committee on Education and Labor.

On October 19, 1938, Fowler married Trudye Pamela Hathcote (1910–2008). Together they had three children: one son, Henry Hammill Jr., and two daughters, Marianne Fowler Smith and Susan Fowler-Gallagher.

Fowler and his family supported a public policy initiative at Roanoke College that brought distinguished speakers such as Sandra Day O'Connor, fostering greater community involvement.

Wartime role

Between 1941 and 1944, Fowler held the position of assistant general counsel for both the Office of Production Management and subsequently the War Production Board. His service extended overseas during 1944–45 with assignments in the United Kingdom and Germany. After returning to private law practice briefly, he reentered government service in 1951 to assist with military mobilization efforts during the Korean War. His responsibilities included leading roles such as administrator of the National Production Authority and Defense Production Administration, Director of the Office of Defense Mobilization, and membership on the United States National Security Council.

Post-war career

With the arrival of President Eisenhower’s administration, Fowler resumed private legal work while contributing to Democratic policy development through the Democratic Advisory Council. He participated on several influential bodies including the Commission on Money and Credit (1958–1961) and Brookings Institution’s National Committee on Government Finance (1960–1961), along with serving as a Trustee for Roanoke College and managing funds for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.

From February 1961 until April 1964, Fowler was Under Secretary of the Treasury where he played a key role in promoting an $11.5 billion tax reduction initiative under the administration. Subsequently, he returned to private practice as senior partner at Fowler, Leva, Hawes and Symington based in Washington. Upon C. Douglas Dillon’s resignation, Fowler assumed office as Secretary of the Treasury from April 1965 through December 1968. His tenure was marked by steadfast loyalty to President Johnson and a fiscally conservative approach.

During this period, he tackled issues such as inflation control and addressing the balance of payments deficit. In August 1967, he proposed a temporary 10 percent tax surcharge which was implemented by mid-1968. Advocating prudence regarding balance of payments challenges, Fowler introduced a two-tier gold pricing system in 1968. He significantly contributed to international monetary cooperation by helping establish special drawing rights through agreements between 1967 and 1968—laying groundwork for coordinated financial policies among developed nations. Additionally, due to rising silver costs, he discontinued U.S. silver coinage.

After completing his service at Treasury, Fowler entered Wall Street as a partner with Goldman Sachs in New York City.

Death

Fowler passed away from pneumonia in Alexandria, Virginia on January 3, 2000, at the age of 91. He was laid to rest at Christ Church Cemetery located in Alexandria. His spouse of 61 years died at the age of 97 on January 22, 2008, in their residence in Alexandria.

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