May 10
Andrew H. Card Jr. Born in Brockton
Summary
Andrew Hill Card Jr. was born on May 10, 1947, in Brockton, Massachusetts, and grew up in nearby Holbrook. Trained as a civil engineer, he entered Massachusetts politics and served in the state House of Representatives. Card later joined the Reagan administration, where he worked on intergovernmental affairs, and then held senior positions in the administration of President George H. W. Bush. He served as U.S. secretary of transportation from 1992 to 1993. Card returned to the White House in 2001 as chief of staff to President George W. Bush and remained in that position until 2006. He is widely remembered for quietly informing Bush, during a school visit in Florida on September 11, 2001, that a second aircraft had struck the World Trade Center. After government service, Card held roles in business and higher education, including serving as a university president.
Why It Matters
Card held senior positions across three Republican presidential administrations and served more than five years as White House chief of staff under George W. Bush. That role placed him at the center of executive decision-making during the September 11 attacks, the opening years of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and major domestic policy debates. His career illustrates the influence of senior presidential staff on modern governance.
Related Sites
- US Military Atlas: A related profile connecting Andrew Card with his public service and military-academy background.
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Sources
- Card, Andrew H: Files, 1983-1987, 1988, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Accessed 2026-08-25.
- Biographical Sketches of the Secretaries of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-08-25.