Ernest Boyd Hueter

Ernest Boyd Hueter, public servant, civic leader, businessman, writer, Eagle Scout and highly decorated WWII veteran died of natural causes recently in Arlington Hospital, Virginia. He and his wife, Joan, are native Californians who also lived in Kansas City, MO and Washington, D.C. and recently retired to Walnut Creek in Northern California.

Ernie Hueter was born in San Francisco on June 15, 1920. Son of Ernest Claus and Lauretta (Boyd) Hueter, he was a descendant of Claus Mangels, Frederick Mier, Joseph C. Boyd and Ernest L. Hueter, all pioneer Californian professionals or industrialists. His father was among the founders of the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Mr. Hueter attended Grant Grammar and Lowell and Galileo High Schools in San Francisco before graduating from the New Mexico Military Institute, the nation's last cavalry school in Roswell, New Mexico. He was graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelors in Journalism Degree in 1942 and completed advanced studies in Business Administration at the University of California, Los Angeles. While attending the University of Missouri he was a ROTC instructor. At MU, he was active in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and editor of the "Show Me" yearbook.

A member of Boy Scout Troop 14 in San Francisco since 1932, Ernie's highlight in youth Scouting was in 1937 when he served as Lord Baden-Powell's Aide-de-Camp at the World Jamboree. Mr. Hueter earned the prestigious Distinguished Eagle Award in 1974.

During WWII, he served 32 months in the Army in the South Pacific. As a commissioned officer in the Engineer Amphibian Command, 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 from the Army 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, MO, 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 secured the participation of world leaders including Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Presidents Ronald Reagan & George HW Bush, Secretaries of State Colin Powell & Condi Rice and Supreme Court Justices to further the education of legal policy with the nation's public and private sectors.

Ernie loved California, spending time almost every summer of his life at Echo Lake in the Sierras, where he met his wife Joan. Every May for 58 years, he treasured the Ranchero Visitadores trail ride in the Santa Ynez Mountains, producing the entertainment and skits for many of those years. Ernie cherished the annual Bohemian Club encampment in the Russian River with his campmates and friends.

Mr. Hueter has 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, the Commerce Bank of Kansas City and the Atlantic Legal Foundation. He was President of the Saddle & Sirloin Club, the Heart of America Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the American Royal Horse Show in Kansas City. In 1983 he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to serve as a commissioner of the German-American Tricentennial Committee. Some of his memberships included of the Supreme Court Historical Society, the Military Order of the Caraboa in Washington, D.C., The Royal Order of Jesters, and the Bohemian Club and Rancheros Visitadores in California.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joan LeBrun de Surville; two children, Kristin Hueter of San Francisco, and Ernest (Chip) Hueter of Warrenton, Virginia; his daughter-in-law Carol; two grandchildren Tyler and Katie; his brother Robert of Napa, California; and a host of valued friends.

Memorial services will be held at Arlington National Cemetery on July 6th and a celebration of Ernie's life will take place in San Francisco on September 24th.

Gifts in memory of Ernie Hueter can be made to:
The Boy Scouts of America/ Ernest B. Hueter Fund
c/o BSA
1001 Davis Street
San Leandro, CA 94577