The Alan K. Simpson-Norman Y. Mineta Leaders Series

Blinken Auditorium, TWC Residential & Academic Facility (RAF)

Business professional

In preparation for this SMLS, we would like you to view some of the following from C-SPAN’s archives. The Heart Mountain Dedication Ceremony [1] commemorates the opening of the Visitors Center where Norman Mineta and other Japanese Americans were interned during World War II. The oral history interview [2] gives you some background on Sec. Mineta’s historical involvement and finally, there is the ceremony at the White House where he received the highest honor that can be bestowed on a U.S. citizen, the Presidential Medal of Freedom [3].

Recognized for his leadership, Norman Y. Mineta has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom – our nation’s highest civilian honor – and the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States. While in Congress, he was the co-founder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Chair of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission in 1997.

Mineta was appointed Secretary of Transportation by President George W. Bush in 2001, where he served until 2006. Following the horrific terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, Mineta guided the creation of the Transportation Security Administration – an agency with more than 65,000 employees – the largest mobilization of a new federal agency since World War II. Mineta was also a Vice President of Lockheed Martin where he oversaw the first successful implementation of the EZ-Pass system in New York State.

• Download the speaker's bio and more information [4]
• View the SMLS Calendar [5]
• Learn more about the Leaders Series [6]