Charles W. Sawyer
| Charles W. Sawyer | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 16th United States Secretary of Commerce | |
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In office May 6, 1948 – January 20, 1953 |
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| Preceded by | W. Averell Harriman |
| Succeeded by | Sinclair Weeks |
| 44th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio | |
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In office January 9, 1933 – January 14, 1935 |
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| Governor | George White |
| Preceded by | William G. Pickrel |
| Succeeded by | Harold G. Mosier |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 10, 1887 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Died | April 7, 1979 (aged 92) Palm Beach, Florida, United States |
| Resting place | Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Sterrett Sawyer (1st wife) Elizabeth De Veyrac Sawyer (2nd wife) |
| Children | Anne Johnston Sawyer Charles Sawyer, Jr. Jean Johnston Sawyer John William Sawyer Edward Milton Sawyer |
| Parents | Edward Milton Sawyer Caroline Butler Sawyer |
| Alma mater | University of Cincinnati College of Law (1911) |
| Profession | Politician |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Charles Sawyer (February 10, 1887 – April 7, 1979) was United States Secretary of Commerce from May 6, 1948 to January 20, 1953 in the administration of Harry Truman.
Sawyer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on February 10, 1887, to Caroline (née Butler) and Edward Milton Sawyer. He served as a member of Cincinnati City Council from 1912 until 1916. Prior to his political career, he worked at the Cincinnati law firm of Dinsmore & Shohl. Between World War I and World War II, he was a prominent Ohio Democratic politician. In the 1930s, a faction led by Sawyer vied with a faction led by Martin L. Davey for control of the state Democratic party. He was the 44th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio from 1933–1935. In 1938, Sawyer was an unsuccessful candidate for governor.
Sawyer authored the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment.
He was also appointed as United States Ambassador to Belgium by Franklin D. Roosevelt and was Minister to Luxembourg during the difficult period from 1944 to 1946, at the beginning of the Belgian royal question concerning King Leopold III of Belgium.
While Secretary of Commerce, Sawyer was ordered by Truman to seize and operate the steel mills in 1952. This seizure was executed to prevent a labor strike which Truman believed would hamper the ability of the United States to proceed in the war in Korea.
When Sawyer returned to Cincinnati after serving President Truman, he joined the law firm of Taft, Stettinius, and Hollister, which had been founded by another prominent Cincinnati politician, Robert A. Taft, and became its managing partner.
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