[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        HONORING PRESTON TOWNLEY

  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
the most important contributors to the life of the State of Minnesota. 
Preston Townley, chief executive officer and president of the 
Conference Board, died suddenly last week at the age of 55.
  Preston Townley had been a mainstay of two of the most important 
institutions in Minnesota--General Mills and the University of 
Minnesota. As a corporate executive, he earned the respect of the 
business community; as dean of the Carlson School of Management, he was 
a major force shaping the next generation of Minnesota business 
leaders.
  He was equally successful in his most recent challenge. Six years 
ago, he signed on as leader of the Conference Board--and transformed it 
into a flourishing think tank.
  He was a trusted member of the community and a dear friend. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in sending our warmest condolences to his widow, 
Marcia Townley, and the Townley family on this sad occasion.
  I ask unanimous consent that an article from the Minneapolis Star 
Tribune about the late Preston Townley be included in the Record at the 
conclusion of my remarks.
  There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

     Former General Mills Executive Preston Townley Dies at Age 55

                           (By Anne O'Connor)

       Preston (Pete) Townley used to tell his daughter that it's 
     better to be really good at a few things than to be average 
     at a lot of things.
       Townley took his own advice: He was anything but average.
       He rose through the ranks at General Mills to become a 
     highly respected executive. He left that position and went to 
     the University of Minnesota, where, as dean of the Carlson 
     School of Management, he was responsible for getting one of 
     the largest donations to the institution.
       He left the university six years ago for New York City, 
     where he took over the Conference Board, a 72-year-old 
     nonprofit think tank, and turned it from a stumbling 
     organization into a flourishing one.
       ``He was a brilliant man,'' said his daughter, Alison, of 
     New York City. ``He did a lot for Minneapolis. He raised 
     millions for the University of Minnesota. He just dedicated 
     his life to the community.''
       Townley, 55, chief executive officer and president of the 
     Conference Board, died suddenly Friday in Amelia Island, 
     Fla., while he was playing tennis. Family members said they 
     are unsure of the cause of death.
       Townley was born in Minneapolis and graduated Harvard 
     University with bachelor's and master's degrees in business 
     administration.
       His daughter said it was his strong sense of community that 
     brought him back to the Twin Cities.
       He started at General Mills in 1964 and worked in positions 
     ranging from assistant to the vice president of advertising 
     to executive president of the consumer foods division.
       While at the university, Townley persuaded Curt Garlson to 
     donate $25 million--then got the business school named for 
     him.
       After leaving the university in September 1988 he went to 
     work at the Conference Board, which has offices in New York, 
     Washington, D.C., and Brussels, Belgium. Its 3,000 members 
     and benefactors are a who's who in business, including 
     American Express, Dow Chemical, Honeywell, Monsanto, PepsiCo 
     and 3M.
       When Townley took over the organization, it was sagging 
     financially and the research that it was producing was out of 
     touch with its customers, said Austin Sullivan, who worked 
     with Townley at General Mills.
       ``There were huge staff problems. They were in the middle 
     of lawsuits,'' Sullivan said. ``He got it back on solid 
     financial shape in a year and a half.''
       Townley expanded the idea of councils, groups that meet two 
     or three times a year to discuss their specific industries.
       ``It's a great opportunity to talk shop with people that do 
     what you do. He understood that this was a unique value for 
     conference members. The councils were so valuable to people 
     that that was one of the ways that Pete got the Conference 
     Board back on its feet.'' Sullivan said.
       Townley is survived by his wife, Marcia, and two sons, 
     Michael, of New York City, and Patrick, of Minneapolis. 
     Services will be announced later.

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