REX MARION WHITTON
1961 — 1966
Federal Highway Administrator
Engineer — Administrator — Highway Pioneer
When Rex Marion Whitton retired as Federal Highway Administrator on December 30, 1966, he left behind a career of public service that spanned nearly the entire history of modern highway construction in the United States. At his retirement, he had completed more than 46 years of continuous highway work, 40 of which were spent in his native Missouri.
Mr. Whitton rose through the ranks in the highway industry, from a member of a highway survey crew in 1920 to Chief Engineer for the State of Missouri in 1951.
He also held the positions of assistant resident engineer, resident engineer, chief of survey party, plans designer, assistant district engineer, district engineer, and engineer of maintenance.
During his tenure as Federal Highway Administrator, the Bureau of Public Roads was reorganized to increase operational efficiency and instill new confidence.
In 1960 he was named one of the top ten public works men of the year by the American Public Works Association in cooperation with Kiwanis International.
He also was president of the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).