John E. Sheehan
- Governor, Board of Governors, 1972–1975
John Sheehan became a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on January 4, 1972. He served until his resignation on June 1, 1975.
Sheehan was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering at the US Naval Academy in 1952. He was commissioned an ensign in the US Navy that same year and resigned at the rank of lieutenant in 1958. In 1960, he graduated from Harvard Business School with a master’s degree in business administration with distinction.
From 1960 to 1963, Sheehan was a management consultant with McKinsey and Company, Inc., in New York City. In 1963, he joined Martin Marietta Corporation in New York City and a year later became vice president of the company's Cement and Lime Division. In 1966, Sheehan was named president and executive officer of the Corhart Refractories Company, a subsidiary of Corning Glass Works, in Louisville, Kentucky. During that time, he was also a director of the Orion Broadcasting Company in Louisville.
In December 1971, Sheehan was appointed a director of the Louisville branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. President Richard Nixon appointed Sheehan to the Board of Governors in 1972.
After leaving the Board of Governors, Sheehan returned to his hometown and in 1989 purchased Williamsport Wirerope Works Inc., a plant that makes steel cable for elevators, suspension bridges, mining rigs, and other applications. In 2004, he sold the company. Sheehan has also served as an emeritus member of the US Naval Academy board of directors.
Written by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. See disclaimer.
