Stanton P. Sender Papers

Collection

Identifier: M047

Staff Only

Overview

Stanton P. Sender (1932-1995) served as Assistant Attorney General in Washington State from 1956-1961; as a trial attorney for the U.S. Interstate Commerce Commission from 1961-1963; and as transportation counsel for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee from 1963-1969. In 1969 he became Assistant General Counsel for Transportation and Telecommunications at Sears, Roebuck and Co. where he lobbied Congress on transportation issues. In 1989 he joined the Washington, D.C. law firm of Moran, Lewis and Bockius where he specialized in transportation law. The Sender papers include his notebooks relating to transportation legislation and railroad deregulation, as well as reports, testimonials, photographs and memorabilia from his work in transportation. The papers include books, serial publications, congressional hearings, committee prints, reports, photographs, maps, posters, buttons, pens, and plaques, as well as notebooks documenting the legislation surrounding intermodal transportation in the United States from the mid-1950s through the early 1990s.

Dates

1933-1994

Creator

Sender, Stanton P., 1932-1995 (Person)

Biographical / Historical

Stanton P. Sender was born November 11, 1932 in Seattle, Washington. He was an honor graduate of Harvard College and received a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1956. He then returned to Washington State, where he served as Assistant Attorney General from 1956 to 1961.

In 1961 he served as a trial attorney for the United States Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) in Washington, D.C. The position at the ICC introduced him to the issue that would dominate his life: transportation. The United States methods of transporting goods and materials was evolving, from domination by railroads to a diversified system incorporating air transport and trucking. Sender became a convert to the idea of deregulation of transportation and worked to forward that goal.

From 1963 to 1969, Sender served as transportation counsel for the United States Senate Commerce Committee. He left government service in 1969 to join Sears, Roebuck and Company as Assistant General Counsel for Transportation and Telecommunications. This position was created by Sears to work with Congress, lobbying on behalf of the company on transportation issues. Sender was an integral part of the Sears management team, and would often steer the company around troublesome transportation issues that were subject to ongoing legislation. He was with Sears for 20 years, during which time much important transportation legislation and legal precedents emerged.

Upon leaving Sears in 1989, Sender joined the Washington, D.C. law firm of Morgan, Lewis and Bockius, where he continued to specialize in transportation law and lobbying. He was treasurer of the National Industrial Transportation League and belonged to many transportation-related organizations. He was chosen ''Man of the Year'' by Chilton's Distribution in 1986.

Stanton P. Sender died November 7, 1995, several days after suffering a massive heart attack. He was survived by his wife, Michelle Sender, and two sons, Jason and Todd.

Extent

21 Linear Feet (19 record boxes, 1 flat box 28'' x 20'', 7 oversize framed pictures)

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

The Stanton P. Sender Papers include Sender's notebooks that document the legislative histories of transportation and interstate commerce bills. The issues covered by these bills include railroads, motor carriers, buses, airlines, ocean vessels, regulation, and deregulation. Framed photographs and letters document Sender's accomplishments in the field of transportation and legislation related to transportation. Other material includes reports and publications on transportation and deregulation. The collection includes books, serial publications, congressional hearings, committee prints, reports, photographs, maps, posters, buttons, pens, and plaques, as well as notebooks documenting the legislation surrounding intermodal transportation in the United States from the mid-1950s through the early 1990s.

Arrangement

This collection is partially arranged.;

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Michelle Sender, December 18, 1998.

Accruals

No further accruals are expected.

General

The HTML finding aid indicated that Stanton P. Sender was survived by his wife, Michelle R. Vale. All the other information we have indicates that Michelle Sender was our donor and Stanton P. Sender's widow. We contacted the person who facilitated the acquisition of both the Sender papers and the ICC collection, and he indicated that he had always dealt with Michelle as Michelle Sender, but suggested a possible remarriage. I have found on the Transportation Consumer Protection Council, Inc. Vol. III, Issue 20, November-December, 1998 that they still refer to Sender's widow as Michelle Sender. Therefore, the decision was made to remove the reference to the name ''Vale'' from this record.