Obituary
BROCK William Emerson BROCK III "Bill" Former Tennessee Senator, United States Trade Representative and Secretary of Labor. Passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on March 25, 2021.
Born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, Bill Brock graduated from McCallie School and Washington & Lee University. When Mr. Brock returned from serving three years in the Navy, he went to work in his family's candy company. Mr. Brock served in the House for eight years, working closely with Republicans and Democrats to solve problems and get things done for his constituents. In 1970, Mr. Brock ran against three-term incumbent Albert Gore, Sr. for the Senate and won. In 1976, as he was elected to serve as Chair of the Republican National Committee and spent the next four years rebuilding the Grand Ole Party.
Four years later, the Republicans took control of the senate for the first time in a quarter of a century, gained 49 seats in the House of Representatives, and elected Ronald Reagan to the Presidency. Reagan appointed Brock United States Trade Representative. He was recognized for his leadership in promoting the expansion of international trade rules to encompass for the first time intellectual property, services, and investment.
He founded the Quad Forum, a quarterly informal meeting of the Trade Ministers of Europe, Japan, Canada, and the United States and founded the Rio Group of seventeen leading trading nations to facilitate greater coordination between trade and finance ministries. Ambassador Brock was recognized by The Wall Street Journal, along with a number of others, as one of the "fathers" of the Uruguay Round of Trade Negotiations and subsequently the World Trade Organization (WTO).
In 1985, President Reagan asked Mr. Brock to bring his arbitration skills to the Department of Labor. As US Secretary of Labor, Secretary Brock was widely praised for his strong executive leadership in a major reform of pension laws, restoring constructive labor-management relations, and creating the landmark study of workforce and workplace trends in a global economy entitled Work Force 2000.
He was a Senior Counselor and Member of the Board of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he chaired the International Policy Roundtable, served on several boards, traveled extensively with his wife and family, maintained an active twitter account and continued to write op-eds on education, trade, policy and politics right up until the time of his passing.
His family and friends will remember him for his gentle, loving spirit and his abiding commitment to his Father, his family, and his country. He was a statesman of the highest caliber, leading by example, with kindness and humility.
Mr. Brock is predeceased by his mother, Myra Kruesi "Peggy" Brock, his father, William Emerson "Bill" Brock Jr., and by his wife, Laura Handley "Muffet" Brock.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra Schubert "Sandy" Brock; two brothers, Paul "Pat" Brock and Frank Brock; six children and step-children and their spouses, William "Bill" Brock IV (Laura), Oscar Brock (Meg), Laura "Hutchey" Brock Doley (Chris), John Brock (Peggy), Julie Cram Janka (John), and Stephen "Steve" Cram (Theresa); 19 grandchildren, William "Bill" Brock V (Morgan), Stephen Brock, Michael "Hutch" Brock (Sarah), Margaret "Archer" Brock, Eleanor Brock, Peter Doley, Laura Doley, Erin Doley, Katherine "Katie" Doley, John "JB" Brock, Morgan Cram (Nathalie), Samantha Cram Butler (Taft), Reagan Cram, McKay Cram, Brandon Fritz, Ian Fritz, Kala Fritz, Nicole Janka and Alexis Janka; and two great-grandchildren, Cora Brock and Ryleigh Fritz.
Memorial donations may be made to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), https://www.csis.org/programs/support or the Cal Ripkin Sr. Foundation https://www.ripkenfoundation.org/donate. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Martin Funeral Home & Crematory, Stuart Chapel.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Martin Funeral Home & Crematory, Stuart Chapel.