Honoring the life of Norman Y. Mineta

1000 people gathered to share the memories of Norman Mineta in San Jose

Former Mayor, former Member of Congress, and former Cabinet Secretary to two Presidents, the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta,( November 12, 1931 – May 3, 2022) returned home to San Jose for the final time. A memorial service honoring the life of Norman Y. Mineta was held in San Jose Civic Center on Thursday morning June 16, 2022.

About 1,000 people gathered to share the memories of Norman and to share the loss of someone they loved and respected.

The 42^nd President of the U.S. Bill Clinton received a standing ovation when he took to the stage. He appointed Mineta his commerce secretary, making Mineta the first Asian American in the cabinet.

Mineta, a Democrat, was later appointed by President George Bush to be Transportation Secretary.

Mr. Clinton praised Mineta: “He made a choice, And the choice that he made to be the author of his own life… to be a builder, not a breaker, to be an uniter, not a divider, to empower others, not to use others to get more power for himself.”

In this time of divisive politics, Clinton said Mineta set an example of what this country needs today. “Norm Mineta was right, and we need to follow him right to the very end.”

Mike Honda, who succeeded Mineta after 11 terms in Congress mentioned “At San Jose Airport, there are curb cuts on every corner, every intersection, there are curb cuts. Only because Norm took the time to sit in a wheelchair for a week.”

About The Hon. Norman Y. Mineta
Secretary Norman Y. Mineta’s career in public service has been both distinguished and unique. He served in Congress for over twenty years and was appointed to the Cabinet of both Democratic and Republican presidents.

For almost thirty years, Mineta represented San Jose, California – the heart of Silicon Valley – first on the City Council, then as Mayor, and then from 1975 to 1995 as a Member of Congress. Throughout that time, Mineta was an advocate of the burgeoning technology industry. He worked to encourage new industries and spur job growth, and he supported the development of the infrastructure to accommodate the industry and its tremendous growth.

Mineta served as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Public Works Committee from 1992 to 1994, after having chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation. He was the primary author of the groundbreaking ISTEA legislation – the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.

In 2000, Mineta was appointed by President Bill Clinton as the United States Secretary of Commerce. Secretary Mineta was the first Asian American to ever be appointed to a President’s Cabinet. At the Department of Commerce, Mineta was known for his work on technology issues, for achieving international cooperation and intergovernmental coordination on complex fisheries issues, and streamlining the patent and trademark process.

Mineta was appointed Secretary of Transportation by President George W. Bush in 2001, where he served until he joined Hill & Knowlton in July 2006. Following the horrific terrorist acts of September 11, 2001, Mineta guided the creation of the Transportation Security Administration – an agency with more than 65,000 employees – the largest mobilization of a new federal agency since World War II.
Mineta was also a Vice President of Lockheed Martin where he oversaw the first successful implementation of the EZ-Pass system in New York State.

Recognized for his leadership, Mineta has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom – our nation’s highest civilian honour – and the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, which is awarded for significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States.

While in Congress, he was the co-founder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and Chair of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission in 1997.

He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. Secretary Mineta is married to Danealia (Deni) Mineta and has two sons, David K. Mineta and Stuart S. Mineta, and two step-sons, Robert M. Brantner and Mark Brantner.