Henry John Heinz III (October 23, 1938 – April 4, 1991) was an American businessman and politician who served as a

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from Pennsylvania from 1977 until his death in 1991. An heir to the Heinz family fortune, Heinz entered politics in 1971 when he won a special election to replace

Robert Corbett Robert Corbett may refer to: * Robert Corbett (Canadian politician) (1938–2025), member of the House of Commons of Canada *Robert J. Corbett (1905–1971), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania *Robert Corbett (B ...

to represent

Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district was a district including the city of Pittsburgh and parts of surrounding suburbs. A variety of working class and majority black suburbs located to the east of the city were included, such as McKeesport ...

. In

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

, Heinz ran to replace retiring Senate Minority Leader

Hugh Scott Hugh Doggett Scott Jr. (November 11, 1900 – July 21, 1994) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1941 to 1945 and from 1947 to 1959 and in the ...

. Heinz narrowly won in the Republican primary over future Senator

Arlen Specter Arlen Specter (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was an American lawyer, author and politician who served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2011. Specter was a Democrat from 1951 to 1965, then a Republican fr ...

and defeated

William Green III William Joseph Green III (born June 24, 1938) is an American politician from Pennsylvania. A Democrat, Green served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1964 to 1977 and as the 94th Mayor of Philadelphia from 1980 to 1984. Youth Green gre ...

in the general election. Heinz won re-election in 1982 and 1988 by large margins. On April 4, 1991, Heinz was killed when his plane, facing mechanical problems, collided with a helicopter inspecting the plane, killing all involved in the crash.

Early life and education

Henry John Heinz III was born on October 23, 1938, in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Pennsylvania, the only child of Joan (Diehl) and H. J. "Jack" Heinz II, heir to the

H. J. Heinz Company The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz (), is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 186 ...

. His parents divorced in 1942. Heinz moved to San Francisco, California, with his mother and stepfather,

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

Captain Clayton Chot "Monty" McCauley. Although he was raised and primarily resided in San Francisco throughout his childhood, Heinz often spent the summer months with his father in Pittsburgh. In 1956, Heinz graduated from

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

. He then attended and graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, where

Theodore Stebbins Theodore Ellis Stebbins, Jr. (born August 11, 1938) is an American art historian and curator. Stebbins is emeritus Curator of American Art at the Harvard Art Museums. Career From 1977 to 1999, Stebbins was the John Moors Cabot Curator of Americ ...

was his roommate, in 1960, majoring in history, arts and letters. Heinz subsequently graduated from

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

in 1963. As a Harvard Business School student, he met his future wife, Teresa Simões Ferreira, who attended the

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public university, public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by French theologian John Calvin as a Theology, theological seminary. It rema ...

, over summer break.

Career

U.S. Air Force

After graduating from Harvard Business School in 1963, Heinz served in the

United States Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

and was on active duty during the same year. He remained in the Air Force Reserve until 1969.

Political career

Heinz served as an assistant to Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senator

and played an active role as assistant campaign manager during Scott's campaign for re-election. Heinz then worked in the financial and marketing division of the H. J. Heinz Company between 1965 and 1970, after which he taught business at the

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...

Graduate School of Industrial Administration The Tepper School of Business is the business school of Carnegie Mellon University. It is located in the university's campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school offers degrees from the undergraduate through doctoral levels, in addition to ...

until 1971.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1971, Heinz entered politics after Representative

, who represented

, died in office. After winning the Republican primary, Heinz won the special election on November 2, 1971, to fill the vacancy created by Corbett's death. Heinz was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...

and

1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...

. During his tenure, he cultivated a moderate record in the vein of Pennsylvania's two Republican senators

and

Richard Schweiker Richard Schultz Schweiker (June 1, 1926 – July 31, 2015) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of health and human services under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983. A member of the R ...

. Also in 1974, he declined to challenge Democratic governor Milton Schapp.

U.S. Senate

Heinz opted not to run for re-election to his seat in the House of Representatives, announcing on December 10, 1975 to run for Pennsylvania's open

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

seat created by the retirement of incumbent

. In the primary, Heinz faced opposition from

. During the campaign, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in

Buckley v. Valeo ''Buckley v. Valeo'', 424 U.S. 1 (1976), was a List of landmark court decisions in the United States, landmark decision of the U.S. Supreme Court on campaign finance in the United States, campaign finance. A majority of justices held that, as pro ...

, allowing candidates to spend with few restrictions, benefitting Heinz. During the campaign, Heinz came under fire for having accepted illegal donations totaling $6,000 from

Gulf Oil Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...

, which Heinz returned, claimed was an accident and denied legal culpability. Heinz would defeat Specter in the primary, performing strongly in western Pennsylvania. Heinz faced congressman

in the general election. Heinz was criticized by Green for his wealth and spending. Heinz defeated Green in November. He was subsequently re-elected in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

and in

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

. In the Senate, Heinz was a moderate-to-liberal Republican. He was a member of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Finance, the

National Commission on Social Security Reform The National Commission on Social Security Reform, also known as the Greenspan Commission due to its chairmanship by Alan Greenspan, was a commission that was appointed by the United States Congress and President Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson R ...

, the National Commission on Health Care Reform, the Northeast Coalition, and the Steel Caucus. He also served as chairman of the Subcommittee on International Finance and Monetary Policies, the Special Committee on Aging, and the Republican Conference Task Force on Job Training and Education. Heinz voted in favor of the

bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Pl ...

establishing

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., and often referred to shorthand as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the third Monday of January each year. King was the chief spokespers ...

as a

federal holiday A public holiday, national holiday, federal holiday, statutory holiday, bank holiday or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year. Types Civic holiday A ''civic holiday'', also k ...

and the

Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987 The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, or Grove City Bill, is a United States legislative act that specifies that entities receiving federal funds must comply with civil rights legislation in all of their operations, not just in the program ...

(as well as to override

President Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party and became an important figure in ...

's veto). Heinz voted in favor of the

Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination On July 1, 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Robert Bork for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to succeed Lewis F. Powell Jr., who had earlier announced his retirement. At the time of his nomination, Bor ...

. He was elected chairman of the

National Republican Senatorial Committee The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) is the Republican Hill committee for the United States Senate, working to elect Republicans to the Senate. The NRSC was founded in 1916 as the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. It was reor ...

for two terms, 1979–1981 and 1985–1987. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' noted that Heinz built a solid record in the Senate as "a persistent defender of the nation's growing elderly population and of the declining steel industry", that he was "instrumental in pushing through legislation that put the Social Security system on sounder financial footing", and "played a major role in strengthening laws regulating retirement policies, pension plans, health insurance and nursing homes", and "pushed successfully for trade laws that encourage American exports and protect American products, like steel, from foreign imports". In 1991, Heinz began evaluating a Pennsylvania gubernatorial bid, with advisors thinking it was a move towards a future bid for the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

Death

On April 4, 1991, Heinz and six other people, including two children, were killed when a Sun Co. Aviation Department

Bell 412 The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter of the Huey family manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212, with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor. It is a twin-turbine helicopter that has been ...

helicopter and a

Piper Aerostar The Piper Aerostar (formerly the Ted Smith Aerostar) is an American twin-engined propeller-driven executive or light transport aircraft, designed by Ted R. Smith. It was originally built by Ted Smith Aircraft Company, but the design was acquired ...

, with Heinz aboard, collided in mid-air above Merion Elementary School in

Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania Lower Merion Township is a Township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merionethshire, Merioneth in north Wales ...

. All aboard both aircraft, as well as two children at the school, were killed. The helicopter was attempting to investigate a problem with the landing gear of Heinz's plane, and while moving in for a closer look, collided with the plane, causing both aircraft to lose control and crash. The subsequent

NTSB The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inc ...

investigation attributed the cause of the crash to poor judgment by the pilots of the two aircraft involved. Following a funeral at

Heinz Chapel Heinz Memorial Chapel is a Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Landmark and a contributing property to the Schenley Farms Historic district (United States), National Historic District on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh ...

in Pittsburgh and a Washington, D.C. memorial service that was attended by President

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

and Vice President

Dan Quayle James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American retired politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party (United States), ...

, Senator Heinz's remains were interred in the Heinz family mausoleum in

Homewood Cemetery Homewood Cemetery is a historic urban cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Point Breeze and is bordered by Frick Park, the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, and the smaller Smithfield Cemetery. It was established i ...

, located in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Heinz's long time friend, Senator Tim Wirth of Colorado, remarked: "He really believed he could make the world a better place, such a contrast to the jaded resignation of our time. He could send the Senate leadership up a wall faster than anyone I've seen." Heinz's son

André André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries, as well in Portugal ...

said at the services: "Dad, I am so grateful for the time we had, and I miss you and I love you." In 1995,

Teresa Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; ) is a feminine given name. It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Classical Greek, Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or rea ...

, Heinz's widow, married Heinz's Senate colleague, future Democratic presidential nominee and Secretary of State

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

Legacy

The Tinicum Wildlife Preserve was renamed to the

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is a 1000-acre (4.05 km2) National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and Tinicum Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Tinicum Township, Pennsylvania. ...

in Heinz's honor following his death. The 1,200 acre (4.9 km²) refuge includes the largest remaining freshwater tidal

marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...

in Pennsylvania, as well as other habitats that are home to a variety of plants and animals native to Southeastern Pennsylvania. Heinz was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

in 1991. In 1993, his family established the

Heinz Award The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honors given annually by the Heinz Foundations, Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards each year recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Eco ...

s, which honors individual innovation in five categories. One of the

Jefferson Awards for Public Service The Jefferson Awards Foundation was created in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service. The Jefferson Awards are given at both local and national levels. Local winners are ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectatio ...

annual awards, for "Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official", is named in his honor. Several institutions bear his name, including: *Senator H. John Heinz III Archives at the

Libraries in

Heinz College The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, also known as Heinz College, is the public policy and information college of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It consists of the School of Information Systems and ...

in Pittsburgh * H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Heinz History Center The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. Named after U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III (1938–1991) from Pennsylvania, it i ...

in Pittsburgh *H. J. Heinz Campus of the

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers an ...

Pittsburgh Healthcare System in PittsburghH.J. Heinz Campus — VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
/ref>

Electoral history

References

External links

*
John Heinz Legacy

Senator H. John Heinz III Archives

The H. John Heinz III College

The H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment
*
Senator John Heinz History Center
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heinz, H. John Iii 1938 births 1991 deaths Accidental deaths in Pennsylvania Burials at Homewood Cemetery Carnegie Mellon University faculty Harvard Business School alumni Heinz family Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Politicians from Pittsburgh Republican Party United States senators from Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania United States Air Force airmen Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1991 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Victims of mid-air collisions Yale University alumni Members of the American Philosophical Society 20th-century United States senators 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives