Atlantic Legal has established an endowment fund in honor of Ernest B. Hueter, who served as a director of the Foundation from June, 1980 until his death at age 89 on February 26, 2010.
Ernie Hueter was born in California on June 15, 1920. His forbearers were pioneer California professionals and industrialists. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and completed advanced studies in Business Administration at the University of California, Los Angeles.
During World War II, he served 32 months in the Army in the South Pacific. Mr. Hueter commanded landing crafts and made 24 initial assault landings from Australia to the Philippines. He completed his duty with the rank of Major in the Intelligence Section on General MacArthur’s Staff planning the anticipated landing in the Japanese homeland. He was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism by Act of Congress, numerous Theatre of Operations awards, and five Presidential Unit Citations.
After being discharged in 1945, Mr. Hueter went to Hollywood where he became a radio script writer for Bob Hope, Edgar Bergen and Red Skelton.
In 1947, his career took a completely different path when he joined Interstate Brands (Bakeries) Corporation in Kansas City as assistant advertising manager. He rose through the ranks to become president and chief executive officer and subsequently, in 1973, he was appointed chairman of the board. During his leadership of Interstate, the company grew almost nine-fold to become one of Fortune’s top 500 companies.
In 1980, Mr. Hueter was asked to assume the presidency of the National Legal Center for the Public Interest, a not-for-profit legal educational foundation based in Washington, D.C. He created a new mission and implemented new programs for the organization and guided it through its successes until he retired in 2004.
In addition to his service on the Atlantic Legal Board, Mr. Hueter held many high volunteer posts, including director of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Washington International Horse Show, the Agricultural Hall of Fame, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the Commerce Bank of Kansas City. He also served on the National Communications Committee of the Boy Scouts of America and was president of the Missouri/Kansas Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America. In 1983 he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a commissioner of the German-American Tricentennial Committee. He was a member of the Military Order of the Caraboa in Washington, D.C. and the Bohemian Club and Rancheros Visitadores in California
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan Le Brun de Surville; two children, Ernest (Chip) Hueter of Warrenton, Virginia, and Kristin Hueter of San Francisco, California; his daughter-in-law Carol; two grandchildren Tyler and Katie; his brother Robert of Napa, California; and a valued host of friends.
Contributions to the Hueter Endowment Fund may be made by check payable to Atlantic Legal, noting the Hueter Endowment on the memo line.
