Andrew Card
Andrew Hill Card Jr. (born May 10, 1947) is an American government official and academic administrator who served as White House Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush from January 20, 2001, to April 14, 2006—the second-longest tenure in that position—and as United States Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush from February 24, 1992, to January 20, 1993.[1][2] A native of Holbrook, Massachusetts, Card earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of South Carolina and attended the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.[1] His career spans multiple Republican administrations, beginning in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1975 to 1983, where he received the Legislator of the Year award from the National Republican Legislators Association.[1] Card advanced to federal roles under Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush, serving as special assistant for intergovernmental affairs, deputy to the Chief of Staff, and later as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff from 1988 to 1992.[1] As Secretary of Transportation, he coordinated the federal response to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, directing relief efforts amid significant infrastructure damage.[1] Following his Cabinet service, Card led the American Automobile Manufacturers Association as president and CEO from 1993 to 1998 and served as vice president of government relations at General Motors until 2000.[1] In his White House Chief of Staff role, Card managed daily operations and advised on major policy initiatives, including the immediate response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, during which he informed President Bush of the second plane striking the World Trade Center while the president was visiting a Florida classroom.[3] After resigning in 2006, Card transitioned to academia, acting as dean of Texas A&M University's Bush School of Government and Public Service and later serving as president of Franklin Pierce University from 2014 until his retirement.[4] His extensive public service has drawn both praise for steady leadership across crises and criticism, particularly regarding the administration's handling of Hurricane Katrina and decisions leading to the Iraq War, though Card has expressed no regrets over his involvement in national security matters.[5][6]