Malcolm Read Lovell, Jr. papers (Ms. 94.14)

Biographical note

Malcolm Read Lovell, Jr. was born in Greenwich, Connecticut on January 1, 1921, the son of Malcolm Read Lovell, Sr. and Emily Monihan of Philadelphia.

Lovell was educated at Greenwich High School and then the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where he received his diploma in 1939. He attended Brown University from 1939 to 1942. He then attended Harvard University from 1942 to 1943, earning an I.A. degree, returning in 1946 to complete his M.B.A.

He served in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945, and was stationed with a naval intelligence unit on the China coast.

Upon his return to the United States from active duty, he was employed in Detroit, Michigan for the Ford Motor Company. During his employment with Ford from 1946-1958, he held a variety of managerial positions in personnel administration and industrial relations. In 1958 he was hired as Manager of Employee Services at American Motors, Detroit, Michigan where he served until 1961.

Also, during this time, Lovell was elected to a position of the Birmingham (Mich.) Board of Education.

In 1961, Lovell began work as the Assistant Campaign Manager for gubernatorial candidate George Romney. Upon Romney's election in 1962, Lovell was appointed to a variety of positions in Michigan state government, including Chairman of the State Labor Mediation Board (1962-1964), Director of the Michigan Economic Opportunity Office (1964-1965), and Director of the Michigan Employment Security Commission (1965-1969).

In 1969 Lovell was nominated by President Richard M. Nixon for the position of Assistant Secretary for Manpower in the United States Department of Labor. Upon his confirmation in 1970, Lovell appeared numerous times before congressional committees testifying on behalf of proposed legislation. He resigned from his position as Assistant Secretary for Manpower in January 1973.

Lovell remained in Washington, D.C., however, serving as the President of the Rubber Manufacturer's Association from 1973 to 1981. During this time he was also active in serving on the transition teams of Washington Mayor Marion Barry and President Ronald Reagan.

In July of 1981 President Reagan nominated Lovell for the position of Undersecretary of Labor in the United States Department of Labor, and he was confirmed by the Senate in September. In this capacity, Lovell served as deputy secretary for the department, testifying at congressional hearings, and attending meetings of the President's cabinet. He resigned from this position in February 1983.

Since his employment in the U.S. Department of Labor, Lovell went on to hold a number of positions, including being a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institute from 1983 to 1985, and holding a faculty position at George Washington University from 1985 to 1992. In January 1992 he was appointed as President of the National Planning Association, an economic and social research organization located in Washington DC. In addition, he served as Chair of the U.S. Labor Department's Task Force on Economic Adjustment and Worker Dislocation (1984-1986). He founded and was moderator of the Collective Bargaining Forum, a group of Chief Executive Officers of major companies and Presidents of major trade unions committed to improving America's competitiveness and dedication to collective bargaining.

Lovell was married to Cary Sheldon on January 7, 1950. They had four daughters Lucie, Sara ('Sally'), Annette, and Caroline. Lovell and Kennedy (she did not become 'Kennedy' until after the divorce) divorced on November 7, 1966.

He was married to Beatrice ('Sandy') Sweeney on February 25, 1967. The marriage ended in divorce in December 1976.

He then married Celia Coghlan on November 18, 1978, to whom he remained married for the remainder of his life.