Alexander Treadwell
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Alexander Ferguson "Sandy" Treadwell (born March 25, 1946) is an American politician, journalist, and artist. He was
Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York who leads the New York State Department of State, Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York ...
, as well as New York's representative on the
Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
. He was also a writer for ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''.''''


Early life

Treadwell was born in London, England. His father, John F. W. Treadwell, was a
Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...
in the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
. His mother, Susan Vanderpoel Ord, was from
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...
, but went to England with the
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during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. His maternal grandfather was Joseph P. Ord, a founding executive of
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
. While he was still an infant, his family moved to Albany. His father resigned from his commission and worked as vice president of the
English Speaking Union The English-Speaking Union (ESU) is an international educational membership organistation. Founded by the journalist Sir Evelyn Wrench in 1918, it aims to bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures, by building skill ...
in New York City starting in 1949. Treadwell grew up on a 385-acre family estate called Bessboro Farm in Westport, New York, overlooking
Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...
. There, his father raised Holstein cattle. Treadwell had one brother, Thomas Ord Treadwell. Treadwell went to
Groton School Groton School (founded as Groton School for Boys) is a private college-preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. Ranked as one of the top five boarding high schools in the United States in Niche (2021–2022), it is affiliated ...
. He then attended the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...
, graduating in 1968 with a degree in journalism. While there, he was a member of the fraternity
St. Anthony Hall St. Anthony Hall or the Fraternity of Delta Psi is an American fraternity and literary society. Its first chapter was founded at Columbia University on , the Calendar of saints, feast day of Anthony the Great, Saint Anthony the Great. The frater ...
and was a sports writer for '' The Daily Tark Heel''. Treadwell served in the Army National Guard.


Career


Journalist

After college, Treadwell was a sports journalist for ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
.'' He wrote articles about college basketball and football. He stayed in that position for three years, leaving in 1972 to become a freelance writer. In 1973, he wrote articles for ''
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
'' magazine. He worked for ''Classic'' ''Sports'' magazine for four years in the late 1970s. Next, he tried to start a movie magazine without success. In 1987, he wrote ''The World of Marathons'' (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1987) a book about 26 races around the world. In its review, ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' wrote, "Essential reading for both the amateur and professional distance runner."


Politics

Treadwell became active in the Republican Party in Essex County, New York. In 1973, he sought the Essex County GOP endorsement for the
New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...
but lost badly in the primary. He changed his tactics, aiming lower. He became the Republic Party chairman in Westport. In 1985, he was elected Republican chairman for the county. He was vice chairman of the New York State Republican Party from 1989 to 1994. In 1990, Treadwell campaigned for the Republican Party across the state of New York, sharing the Republican platform at public forums. Along the way, he met George Pataki. In 1994 when Pataki ran for governor in 1994, Treadwell officially endorsed him as a county chairman, becoming one of the first county chairmen in the state to do so.


New York Secretary of State

In 1995, Governor George Pataki appointed Treadwell
Secretary of State of New York The secretary of state of New York is a cabinet officer in the government of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York who leads the New York State Department of State, Department of State (NYSDOS). The current secretary of state of New York ...
. In this capacity, Treadwell earned $120,800 a year. The Department of State had 850 employees and an annual budget of $110 million during Treadwell's leadership. As Secretary, Treadwell was active in reorganizing the Department of State in order to streamline operations and improve efficiency. He reduced the agency's workforce without layoffs while holding the line on spending. He was also active in local government issues statewide. He served as the Secretary of State through 2001.


New York State Republican Party chairman

In 2001, Pataki appointed Treadwell as the Chairman of the
New York Republican Party The New York Republican State Committee, established in 1855, is the New York State affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The party has headquarters in Albany, Buffalo, and New York City.
, serving through 2004. He replaced William D. Powers. Treadwell was the host state chairman of the
2004 Republican National Convention The 2004 Republican National Convention took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The convention is one of a series of historic quadrennial meetings at which the Republican candidates fo ...
that nominated President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
and Vice President
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
for re-election. Under his tenure, Pataki was elected to a second term and Michael Bloomberg was elected mayor of New York City. In 2004, Treadwell faced controversy after he supported Assemblyman
Howard Mills Howard D. Mills III (born May 29, 1964) is an American insurance consultant and former politician from Goshen, New York. He served as New York's Superintendent of Insurance from 2005 to 2006, and previously held elective office in both the New ...
as the party's nominee for the
U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
against Senator Chuck Schumer over the would-be candidate Michael Benjamin.Benjamin, Elizbeth (February 25, 2004) ''Albany Times-Union.'' Accessed August 3, 2022. Benjamin publicly accused Treadwell and Governor George Pataki of trying to muscle him out of the Senate race and undermine the democratic process because he was half Honduran. Mills, who was nominated after numerous other potential candidates turned the race down, lost to incumbent Schumer in the largest landslide in state history. Treadwell stepped down as state chairman in 2004 to become New York's
Republican National Committeeman The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
.


2008 Congressional Candidacy

In April 2008, Treadwell filed to run for Congress in New York's 20th District against Kirsten Gillibrand. Treadwell signed the Americans For Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge and ran on the promise that he will never vote to increase taxes on individuals or businesses. He supported more troops in Iraq, but noted, "We went into Iraq for the wrong reasons. Terrible mistakes were made in the first four years." He also favored a limit of four terms for Congressmen. In addition, he supported expanding broadband and cellular infrastructure. He also stated that he would not accept a salary to serve in Congress, but would donate those funds to charities. Treadwell was endorsed by Bill Weld, the former Governor of Massachusetts. Former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, hit the campaign trail on his behalf. However, conservative commentator George Marlin criticized Treadwell, labeling him a "social moderate" and a "liberal elitist trust bab . In fact, during his campaign, Treadwell noted Martin Luther King Jr. and
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...
as major influences on his life. Another New York Republican operative called him a " Rockefeller Republican". Treadwell was defeated by Gillibrand, who was re-elected with 62% of the vote.Carson, Jamie L, Aldrich, John H, Gomez, Brad T., Merolla, Jennifer L..
Change and Continuity in the 2020 Elections
'. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2022. p. 245 via Google Books.
Treadwell spent more than $6 million on his campaign; nearly $5 million was his own money.Burrell, Barbara
''Gender in Campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives''
United States: University of Michigan Press, 2014. p. 117. via Google Books.
Gillibrand spend $4.49 million. It was the most expensive United States House race in 2008.


Other political issues

In 2011, Treadwell publicly supported gay marriage, and encourage Republican senators to vote for marriage equality. In 2020, Treadwell was a founder of a Bipartisan Committee to Elect Joe Biden; the committee started to support Democrat
Amy Klobuchar Amy Jean Klobuchar ( ; born May 25, 1960) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Minnesota, a seat she has held since 2007. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Minne ...
who later withdrew from the presidential race.


Artist

At 67 years old, Treadwell became an artist, specializing in charcoal portraits. He is affiliated with the Ojai Studio Artists. His gallery is the Ojai Valley Artists at 238 East Ojai Avenue in
Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is ...
.


Personal life

Treadwell married Elisabeth "Libby" Ward Krautter on March 21, 1970, in Saints Chapel of Christ Episcopal Church in
Winnetka, Illinois Winnetka () is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located north of downtown Chicago. The population was 12,316 as of 2019. The village is one of the wealthiest places in the nation in terms of household income. It was the second- ...
. Krautter was also a writer for ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' and was one of the first woman journalists to cover professional football. In addition, she is a poet. They had an apartment in Manhattan, but also lived in Essex County, New York near his mother. They moved to Westport in 1972. The couple had two children: Zachary and Caroline. In 1980, he saw runners in the New York City Marathon. The next day, he began training for the 1981 marathon. At the time, Treadwell smoked two and a half packs of cigarettes a day. He ran both the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon two times, as well as running the Moscow Marathon once. In 2004, he purchased a home in
Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303. The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsburgh. ...
. He spent winters there and summers in Westport on the farm where he spent his childhood. The family also has a house in California. In 2004, President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
appointed Treadwell to the board of trustees for the
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...
. In 2006, he was the president of the Lake Placid Regional Winter Sports Committee. He has also served as vice president of the Clark Foundation.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Treadwell, Alexander F. 1946 births Living people People from London People from Westport, New York Groton School alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni St. Anthony Hall American sports journalists New York (state) Republicans Secretaries of State of New York (state) State political party chairs of New York (state) People from Lake Placid, New York Artists from California People from Ojai, California