Michael Pertschuk (January 12, 1933 – November 16, 2022) was an American attorney and advocate for
consumer protection and
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
. He served as a member of the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from 1977 to 1984, and served as FTC Chair from 1977 to 1981. During his tenure, Pertschuk worked to strengthen the FTC's consumer protection powers.
Prior to joining the FTC, Pertschuk worked on Capitol Hill, where he was nicknamed the "101st Senator" owing to his influence in passing consumer protection legislation. Pertschuk served as chief counsel and staff director to the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, a ...
from 1965 to 1976 and was instrumental in drafting the landmark legislation requiring cigarette warning labels and banning
broadcast advertising of tobacco products. He also helped pass automobile and product safety laws and the
Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act
The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act (P.L. 93-637) is a United States federal law ( ''et seq.''). Enacted in 1975, the federal statute governs warranties on consumer products. The law does not require any product to have a warranty (it may be sold "a ...
.
Early life and education
Pertschuk was born on January 12, 1933, in London, England. Pertschuk earned his Bachelor of Arts from
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
in 1954 and was a member of the
Manuscript Society
Manuscript Society is a senior society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Toward the end of each academic year 16 rising seniors are inducted into the society, which meets twice weekly for dinner and discussion. Manuscript is reputedly ...
.
Pertschuk served with an artillery unit in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956, reaching the rank of First Lieutenant. In 1957 he became an Assistant in instruction at
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & Worl ...
, receiving his
Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1959.
He was admitted to the Oregon bar in 1959.
[ https://findingaids.loc.gov/exist_collections/ead3pdf/mss/2006/ms006018.pdf]
Career
Early career
From 1959 to 1960, Pertschuk was a law clerk for United States District Court Judge
Gus J. Solomon, Portland, Oregon.
From 1960 to 1962, he was an Associate in the law firm Hart, Rockwood, Davies, Biggs & Strayer, of Portland, Oregon.
From 1962 to 1964 he was a legislative assistant for Senator
Maurine B. Neuberger
Maurine Neuberger-Solomon, best known as Maurine Neuberger (née Brown; January 9, 1907February 22, 2000) was an American politician who served as a United States senator for the State of Oregon from November 1960 to January 1967. She was the fo ...
of Oregon.
Senate Commerce Committee
From 1964 to 1968 he worked as counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee.
From 1968 to 1977, he was Chief counsel and staff director for the Senate Commerce Committee.
During his time working as a Senate staffer, he, along with a few others, occupied "the top stratum of an invisible network of staff power and influence in the Senate, with impact on the life of every citizen of the United States", according to a 1977 article in the ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...
''.
Pertschuk was an early opponent of the tobacco industry. In the 1960s, he helped draft legislation that required warning labels on cigarette packages stating: "Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health." He also worked on legislation that banned cigarette advertising from television and radio.
After the publication of
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader (; born February 27, 1934) is an American political activist, author, lecturer, and attorney noted for his involvement in consumer protection, environmentalism, and government reform causes.
The son of Lebanese immigrants to the U ...
's 1965 book ''
Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile'' Pertschuk and Nader collaborated on automobile safety. Pertschuk helped ensure the 1966 passage of the
National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, which established automobile safety standards.
Pertschuk helped to pass the 1972
Consumer Product Safety Act
The Consumer Safety Act (CPSA) was enacted on October 27th, 1972 by the United States Congress. The act should not be confused with an earlier Senate Joint Resolution 33 of November 20, 1967, which merely established a temporary National Commissio ...
, which established the
Consumer Product Safety Commission. He also helped pass the 1975
Magnuson-Moss Act, which regulated warranties on consumer products.
Federal Trade Commission
President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
appointed him as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1977. He relinquished that position in 1981 following the election of
Ronald Reagan as President, but remained a Commissioner of the FTC through 1984.
Late career
In 1982, he Published ''Revolt Against Regulation: The Rise and Pause of the Consumer Movement''.
In 1984, he was one of the co-founders of the
Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C.; he also served as its co-director and later became a director emeritus.
He founded the Smoking Control Advocacy Resource Center, which, as part of the Advocacy Institute, provided guides, training, strategic counseling, and other resources to combat the tobacco industry. He was instrumental in developing GLOBALink, the primary communication tool for the international tobacco control movement.
From 1984 to 1985, he was a Fellow of the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (or Wilson Center) is a quasi-government entity and think tank which conducts research to inform public policy. Located in the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Wash ...
in Washington, D.C.
In 1985, Pertschuk was elected to the
Common Cause National Governing Board.
In 1989, with
Wendy Schaetzel, he published ''The People Rising: The Campaign Against the Bork Nomination''.
In 2001, he published ''Smoke in Their Eyes: Lessons in Movement Leadership from the Tobacco Wars''.
The papers of Michael Pertschuk are available at the United States Library of Congress. They span the years 1949–2002, with the majority of the papers concentrated from 1977 through 2001. They focus on Pertschuk's work in the arena of consumer protection and consist of two parts processed at different times. Part I relates primarily to Pertschuk's career in the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Part II focuses primarily on his writing projects and his work in the field of public interest
lobbying
In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying, which ...
and as a tobacco control advocate in the years following his departure from the FTC.
Awards and honors
In 2003, Pertschuk received a career service award from the
American Cancer Society.
On May 1, 2013, he received the Champion Award from the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids for his five decades of leadership in the fight against tobacco.
Personal life and death
Pertschuk married Carleen Joyce Dooley in 1954; they divorced in 1976. He married
Anna Sofaer in 1977.
Pertschuk died of pneumonia at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on November 16, 2022, at age 89.
Publications
Books
* ''Revolt Against Regulation: The Rise and Pause of the Consumer Movement'' (University of California Press, 1983)
* ''Giant Killers'' (1986)
* ''Smoke in Their Eyes: Lessons in Movement Leadership from the Tobacco Wars'' (2001),
* With
Wendy Schaetzel: ''The People Rising: The Campaign Against the Bork Nomination'' (1989)
* ''The DeMarco Factor: Transforming Public Will into Political Power'' (2010) regarding the work of
Vincent DeMarco
See also
*
List of former FTC commissioners
References
External links
Michael Pertschuk , C-SPAN.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pertschuk, Michael
1933 births
2022 deaths
Military personnel from New Haven, Connecticut
Writers from London
Writers from Portland, Oregon
English emigrants to the United States
Heads of United States federal agencies
Consumer rights activists
Yale Law School alumni
Federal Trade Commission personnel
Carter administration personnel
Reagan administration personnel
Deaths from pneumonia in New Mexico