Elmer Theodore "Ted" Klassen (November 6, 1908 – March 6, 1990) served as the

United States Postmaster General The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency. The PMG is selected and appointed by ...

from January 1, 1972, to February 16, 1975. In 1971 Klassen became the first Postmaster General named by the Postal Service's Board of Governors, rather than the President, under new Federal legislation. He became the 60th Postmaster General on January 1, 1972, serving until February 16, 1975, when he retired and moved to Palm Harbor. From January 22, 1969, to December 31, 1971, he had been Deputy Postmaster General. Klassen played a major role in shaping the

Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 was a law passed by the United States Congress that abolished the then United States Post Office Department, which was a part of the Cabinet, and created the United States Postal Service, a corporation-like i ...

, which took the Post Office Department from under the control of a Cabinet-level officer and made it an independent agency in the executive branch. He was instrumental in negotiating a contract between the United States Postal Service and the representatives of seven postal unions, with about 600,000 members, in July 1971. At the time of his retirement, the Postal Service was under criticism by members of Congress and others because of financial and organizational problems and higher rates. Mr. Klassen came in for his share of the criticism, in particular from Jack Anderson, the syndicated newspaper columnist, who took issue over contracts awarded by the Postal Service.'Elmer T. Klassen, Former Postmaster General,' The Los Angeles Times, March 12, 1990 Klassen was born in

Hillsboro, Kansas Hillsboro is a city in Marion County, Kansas, United States. Hillsboro was named after John Gillespie Hill, who homesteaded in the area in 1871.Hillsboro Kansas, The City on the Prairie; Wiebe, Raymond F; 1985. As of the 2020 census, the pop ...

, and was raised in California; he began his career at American Can in 1925 as a messenger in the San Francisco plant. On April 28, 1965, he became president of the company, which later became the Primerica Corporation. Klassen never attended college; his only formal education beyond high school was advanced management training at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

in 1954. In 1968 Klassen unexpectedly resigned his in a dispute with the chairman of American Can.

References

1908 births 1990 deaths People from Hillsboro, Kansas Harvard University alumni United States Postmasters General Nixon administration personnel Ford administration personnel {{US-gov-bio-stub