Social Security History

John W. Gardner

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(HEW) 1965-1968

John W. Gardner
(1912 - )

John W. Gardner was born in Los Angles, California. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford University. After earning his doctorate in psychology at the University of California (Berkeley) in 1938, he taught at the Connecticut College for Women (New London) and Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA). Mr. Gardner entered Federal service in 1942 as chief of the Latin American Section of Foreign Broadcast Intelligence Service of the Federal Communications Commission. The following year he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned to the Office of Strategic Services, where he served in Washington, D.C., Italy, and Austria. Mr. Gardner joined the staff of the Carnegie Corporation as executive associate in 1946, and became its president in 1955. In 1965, Mr. Gardner joined President Lyndon Johnson's Cabinet when he was appointed Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, a position he held until 1968.