On the recordSeptember 26, 2011
I rise today to pay tribute to two men whose influence has greatly benefitted my State. My good friend Lawrence H. Lee was, at one time, the CEO of Western Airlines. As you may know, before merging with Delta Air Lines in 1986, Western was one of the largest airlines serving the western U.S. In 1982, as an executive at Western Airlines, Lawrence was responsible for establishing a hub for the airline in Salt Lake City, UT. This would prove to be a consequential decision, both for the airline and, most especially, for the economic future of the State of Utah. In the early 1980s, Western Airlines was on the verge of bankruptcy. Lawrence was appointed CEO in 1983 and tasked with the job of turning the airline around. Under his leadership, they were able to reduce costs and return Western to profitability. Ultimately, this success led to Western's merger with Delta Air Lines. During his tenure as CEO of Western Airlines, Lawrence's right-hand man was none other than Gerald Grinstein, Delta's future CEO. An excerpt from Lawrence's journal gives an account of Mr. Grinstein's efforts to save Delta Air Lines and preserve its Salt Lake hub. It is important to note that Delta's Salt Lake hub, which exists as a direct result of my friend Lawrence's decision to create a hub there for Western Airlines, is vital to Utah's economy. Salt Lake City is small relative to other major airline hubs in the U.S.…
