Samuel K. Skinner
Samuel K. Skinner | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 10, 1938 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, lawyer, businessman |
| Known for | U.S. Secretary of Transportation; White House Chief of Staff under George H. W. Bush; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois |
Samuel Knox Skinner (born June 10, 1938) is a distinguished American figure known for his roles in politics, law, and business. He held the positions of U.S. Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff during the administration of President George H. W. Bush. Prior to his service in the Bush White House, Skinner was appointed by President Gerald R. Ford as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, a post he occupied from 1975 until 1977, taking over from James R. Thompson.
Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 10, 1938, Skinner is the son of Imelda Jane Curran and Vernon Orlo Skinner. His upbringing took place in both Springfield, Illinois and Wheaton, Illinois, where he completed his secondary education at Wheaton Community High School in 1956. He pursued higher education at the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1960 and affiliating with the Beta Eta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Following college, Skinner served as a lieutenant and tank platoon leader in the United States Army between 1960 and 1961. He later obtained his Juris Doctor from DePaul University Law School in 1966, where he contributed to the law review.
After completing his military duties, Skinner worked in sales and management at IBM from 1960 through 1968, earning recognition as Outstanding Salesman of the Year in 1967. Although offered a position assisting IBM chairman Thomas Watson Jr., he opted instead to enter public service. His longstanding involvement with the Boy Scouts of America includes achieving Eagle Scout rank and receiving both the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and Silver Buffalo Award.
Legal career
Between 1968 and 1975, Skinner served as an assistant United States attorney (AUSA) for the Northern District of Illinois before being named U.S. Attorney by President Gerald Ford in 1975. In his role as AUSA, he focused on combating organized crime and public corruption, notably securing the conviction of U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Otto Kerner, Jr., marking a historic first for a sitting federal appellate judge. During this time, Skinner worked alongside future influential jurists and political leaders such as James R. Thompson, William J. Bauer, and Carol Moseley Braun.
From 1977 until 1989, Skinner was a senior partner at Sidley Austin LLP, where he served on the executive committee and became only the second lateral partner ever admitted to the firm. Concurrently, he chaired the regional transportation authority overseeing northeastern Illinois’ mass transit system—the second largest in the United States. Additionally, President Reagan appointed him vice chairman of the President’s Commission on Organized Crime.
George H. W. Bush administration
Within Illinois Republican circles, Skinner played a pivotal role by directing George H. W. Bush’s presidential campaigns in Illinois during both 1980 and 1988—the latter marking the last occasion a Republican carried the state in a general election.
In December 1988, Skinner was nominated and confirmed without opposition as Secretary of Transportation, where he managed a workforce exceeding 105,000 employees and administered a $30 billion budget. He championed President Bush’s National Transportation Policy while shepherding significant aviation and surface transportation legislation through Congress. His initiatives included mandating wheelchair accessibility on buses and contributing to development of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, which spurred growth within the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) sector. Furthermore, he was instrumental in establishing the "open skies" policy that expanded U.S. international flight rights.
Skinner demonstrated crisis leadership through management of multiple emergencies such as the Eastern Air Lines strike, Exxon Valdez oil spill, northern California earthquake, Hurricane Hugo aftermath, and the nationwide rail strike of 1991—earning him the moniker "Master of Disaster." He received top rankings among Transportation Secretaries twice from Washingtonian magazine.
In 1991, Skinner declined an offer to become Attorney General due to restrictions imposed by the Hatch Act on political engagement. He departed from his role as Secretary of Transportation in December that year to assume duties as White House Chief of Staff following John H. Sununu’s resignation. As Chief of Staff, Skinner redirected focus toward domestic policy initiatives ahead of the 1992 election until August 1992 when he stepped down to dedicate himself fully to Bush’s re-election campaign; he was succeeded by then-Secretary of State James Baker.
Post-Bush Administration Career
Following his departure from the White House, Skinner returned to Chicago to take on the role of president at Commonwealth Edison and its parent company, Unicom Corporation (currently known as Exelon), serving from 1993 until 1998. Subsequently, he assumed the position of co-chairman at the Chicago-based law firm Hopkins and Sutter. In July 2000, Skinner was named chairman, president, and CEO of US Freightways, a position he held until his retirement in April 2003.
Presently, Skinner holds board memberships at Navigant Consulting, Echo Global Logistics, Virgin America, and the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. He acts as an advisor to Metalmark Capital and holds the title of director emeritus at Express Scripts. In 2015, he led the independent quality assurance panel for the Takata Corporation, overseeing an internal inquiry into the company's airbag production practices.
Since 2006, Skinner has been affiliated as counsel with the law firm Greenberg Traurig. Between 2003 and 2008, he served as an adjunct professor specializing in management and strategy at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Additionally, he participates on the board of visitors for Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy. Appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Skinner currently heads a task force dedicated to facilitating Chicago’s economic recovery efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family
Skinner and his first wife, Susan Ann Thomas, are parents to three children. Their eldest son, Thomas Vernon Skinner, has held senior positions within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and currently serves as general counsel at Louisiana State University. Another son, Steven Knox Skinner, leads as CEO of KemperSports, overseeing more than one hundred golf courses across the United States. Their daughter, Jane Skinner Goodell, formerly anchored for Fox News and is married to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Skinner lives in Winnetka, Illinois with his wife Honey Jacobs Skinner, who is a retired partner from the law firm Sidley Austin LLP. Together they have two sons: Samuel Jacobs Skinner and William Curran Skinner. Actress Gillian Jacobs is related to him by marriage as his niece.
Awards
Skinner has been honored with honorary degrees from both George Washington University and Lake Forest College.
In 2017, he was inducted into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois as a laureate and received the prestigious Order of Lincoln, Illinois’ highest accolade in government and law, presented by the state governor.