Clay T. Whitehead

Clay T. Whitehead at the Office of Telecommunications Policy in Washington, D.C. (early 1970s) Clay T. "Tom" Whitehead (November 13, 1938 – July 23, 2008 ) was a United States government official who served as special assistant to the president from 1968 to 1970; director of the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) from 1970 to 1974 during the Nixon administration; director of the Ford Transition Team immediately before Nixon's resignation; and an operative in the White House during the initial phases of the Ford transition. Whitehead pioneered a policy of competition across the telecommunications industries, which later was reflected in legislation and regulations in the United States and around the world.

Early life

Whitehead was born in Neodesha, Kansas, the eldest of four children of Clay B. and Helen Hinton Whitehead. The policy enabled cable television networks including C-SPAN, CNN, and HBO to prosper and created a ripple effect that ultimately led to sweeping and lasting changes in the telecommunications landscape.

In the spring of 1974, while still working for Nixon and at the encouragement of Gerald Ford's former law partner, Philip Buchen, later counsel to President Ford, Whitehead secretly organized and led the effort, including Jonathan Moore, assistant to Attorney General Elliot Richardson; Brian Lamb, by then a broadcast journalist; and Laurence Lynn, Jr., assistant secretary for policy, health education and welfare, to plan Vice President Ford's transition to the presidency.

Post-government career After leaving government, Whitehead was a visiting fellow at Harvard University and MIT.

Whitehead joined Hughes Aircraft and founded the Hughes Communications subsidiary that launched the Galaxy satellite system, one of the first geostationary satellites. The Galaxy business became the model for satellite television distribution and broadcasting around the world.

In 2005, Whitehead was a distinguished visiting professor of communications policy at George Mason University School of Law in Virginia.

During this time, he was also president of Clay Whitehead Associates, an international business development company working primarily in the telecom and television industries.

Personal Whitehead served as chairman of the Yosemite National Institutes board of directors from 1972 to 1985 and a board member until 1993.

Whitehead also served from 1984 to 2008 as a member of the board of directors, Prudential Mutual Funds Family; he was the founder and chairman of the governance committee, as well as director or trustee variously of 116 mutual funds.

Death Dr. Whitehead died of prostate cancer in Washington, D.C., on July 23, 2008. He was 69 and lived in McLean, Virginia. In 1973, he had married Margaret Mahon. He was survived by his wife, a son, Clay, and a daughter, Abigail Craine.