LOWELL K. BRIDWELL
1967 — 1969
Federal Highway Administrator
Journalist — Government Official — Highway Authority
Lowell K. Bridwell made his first impact on the highway program in his career as a journalist. A correspondent for the Associated Press and the Ohio State Journal from 1946 to 1950, he became associated with Scripps-Howard in 1958 as their top writer on highways. He gained a reputation as an expert to the technical aspects of highway administration, finance, and construction.
As a representative for Scripps-Hoard, Mr. Bridwell stayed well-informed about both government and industry, and participated in many local and national highway meetings. These included numerous gatherings of State highway officials as well as leading trade associations.
Mr. Bridwell assumed the helm of an expanded and reoriented Federal Highway Administration in 1967. He was responsible for the expenditure of $4.4 billion in highway funds, a large proportion of the Department of Transportation's $6.6 billion overall budget.