John A. Gronouski
| John A. Gronouski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 56th United States Postmaster General | |
| In office September 30, 1963 – November 2, 1965 | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | J. Edward Day |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence F. O'Brien |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 26, 1919 Dunbar, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 1996 (aged 76) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Allouez Catholic Cemetery and Chapel Mausoleum Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Louise Metz Gronouski |
| Children | Stacy Ann Gronouski Jennings Julie Kay Gronouski Glieberman |
| Profession | Politician |
John Austin Gronouski (October 26, 1919 – January 7, 1996) was the Wisconsin state commissioner of taxation and the United States Postmaster General.
Biography
Gronouski was born in Dunbar, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1942, and then joined the military for World War II. He served as a navigator in the Air Force until October 1945.
He earned his M.A. in 1947, and his Ph.D. in 1955, both from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[1] He is married to Mary Louise Metz and they have two daughters: (Stacy Ann Gronouski Jennings and Julie Kay Gronouski Glieberman).
In 1952, he ran for the United States Senate against Joseph McCarthy, who won reelection. In 1959, Gronouski the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and was named the executive director of the Revenue Survey Commission.
In 1960, he became the Wisconsin state commissioner of taxation, and he supported John F. Kennedy for President. In 1963 Gronouski was appointed Postmaster General, the first Polish-American Cabinet officer. As Postmaster General, Gronouski promoted the original five-digit zip code system, and worked to the end racial discrimination against postal employees.[2]
He left the cabinet on November 2, 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed him to be United States Ambassador to Poland.
After President Nixon took office in 1969, Johnson asked Gronouski to become the founding dean of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Gronouski accepted, and remained dean until 1974.[3]
He was served as the one of a members of the member Eisenhower Commission (on international radio broadcasting) and as the Chairman of the Board for International Broadcasting during the Carter administration.[4]
In retirement he lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he died on January 7, 1996. He was buried at the Allouez Catholic Cemetery and Chapel Mausoleum in Green Bay.
References
- Archives of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
- Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia
- New York Times obituary
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by J. Edward Day |
United States Postmaster General Served under: John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson 1963–1965 |
Succeeded by Lawrence F. O'Brien |
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