Edwin Lloyd Meeds – SPI3, United States Navy

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Member of Congress

E. Lloyd Meeds, 77; U.S. House Democrat

E. Lloyd Meeds, 77, a Washington state Democrat who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1979 and was a partner at the law and lobbying firm Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds LLP, died Aug. 17 at his home in Church Creek, Maryland. He had lung cancer.

Meeds’s congressional district included far northwestern Washington. He served on the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee as well as the Labor and Education Committee. He helped craft legislation that created a national park in his state and had a hand in passing other environmental bills.

He entered a politically dangerous battle between commercial fishermen and Native Americans. The Indians had argued successfully in federal court for recognition of a treaty that gave them half of the salmon catch in major state waterways. He expressed great sympathy for the tribes, which led to his near defeat for reelection in 1976, according to the Almanac of American Politics.

He was not a candidate for reelection in 1978. He then joined Preston Gates Ellis, a Seattle-based firm, and moved to its office in the District soon after.

His work focused on education and natural resources. His clients included the state of Alaska and a bevy of corporate clients, from the timber industry to software companies. At his death, he was a counsel to the firm.

Edwin Lloyd Meeds was born in Dillon, Montana, and raised in Monroe, Washington. After brief Navy service, he graduated from Everett (Washington) Junior College in 1950, became an owner and operator of a gas station and graduated in 1958 from Gonzaga University’s law school.

He was prosecuting attorney of Snohomish County, Washington, before winning election to Congress in 1964.

His marriage to Barbara Meeds ended in divorce.

Survivors include his wife of 38 years, Mary Yang Meeds of Church Creek; two children from his first marriage, Michael Meeds and Michelle Meeds, both of Monroe; a daughter from his second marriage, Deborah Kendall of Washington; a brother; and eight grandchildren.

Longtime Washington Congressman Lloyd Meeds dies

Retired U.S. Representative Lloyd Meeds, a former gas station operator who later sponsored landmark legislation and hobnobbed with presidents, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

Meeds, a Democrat who worked closely with the state’s legendary senators, Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson, served in the House for seven terms. He represented the 2nd District in northwestern Washington between Everett and the Canadian border, and the Olympic Peninsula.

After his retirement in 1979, he had a long career as a partner with the Seattle-based law firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. The firm announced his death Thursday. Meeds died at his home in Church Creek, Maryland, Wednesday night. He was connected with the law firm’s Washington, D.C., branch.

“Lloyd Meeds served the state of Washington with distinction and honor,” said former House Speaker Tom Foley, D-Washington. “It was a privilege to serve with him in the House of Representatives and his passion and dedication were an inspiration to those who knew him. I was honored to be his friend.”

Foley and Meeds, as well as Brock Adams and Floyd Hicks, were Jackson protégés who were all elected to Congress in 1964.

Meeds was known for his work on conservation, education and implementing some of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society programs. He also worked on Native American issues.

He sponsored legislation to create Head Start, the Youth Conservation Corps, school nutrition programs and vocational education support. He helped create the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and the North Cascades National Park.

He always enjoyed a connection with Alaska and native issues. He worked on the trans-Alaska oil pipeline legislation, Alaska wilderness bills and the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Alaska declared last February 28 Lloyd Meeds Day.

Meeds was born in rural Dillon, Montana, on December 11, 1927, and the family moved to Monroe, Washington, northeast of Seattle when he was in high school. After a tour of duty in the Navy, he graduated from Everett Community College and owned and operate a service station in Monroe for four years. He went back to college and graduated second in his class at Gonzaga Law School in 1958. After working as a deputy prosecutor and in a private practice, he was elected Snohomish County prosecutor in 1962, Jackson’s old office, and served until his election to Congress.

Meeds usually won re-election by comfortable margin, but won by only 542 votes in 1976. In 1974, U.S. District Judge George Boldt had ruled that Indian treaties gave them the opportunity to harvest one-half of the fish in their usual and accustomed fishing grounds. Meeds angered many in his fish-dependent district by saying the Indians had law on their side and that people needed to deal with it and move on.

Some environmentalists and tribes also were unhappy with him, despite his long work on their issues. Frustrated and not wanting to face another grueling, expensive re-election campaign, he announced in late 1977 that he would step down at the end of his term. He was succeeded in Congress by his close aide, Al Swift, who served for 16 years. Swift remembered Meeds Thursday as “one of the most assiduously honest men I ever met.” Swift said Meeds was treated brutally, but never sold out and never turned bitter. He greatly enjoyed his law career afterward, he said.

“My overriding image of Lloyd was energy,” Swift said. “He just could not sit still. He was always in motion. He’d take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.”

Swift characterized Meeds as a classic New Deal-Great Society liberal.

“To know Lloyd was to know someone who represented the best of what public service is all about,” said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., dean of the state delegation. “He came to Washington to do what he believed was right for the country, and did it for over 40 years. He truly was one of a kind.”

Karen Glover, managing partner of Preston Gates, called him a beloved and highly respected colleague.

“Through all of his years in Washington, D.C., Lloyd never forgot his Northwest roots,” she said.

Meeds is survived by his wife of more than 35 years, Mary; a daughter, Deborah Kendall; two children from his first marriage, Michael and Michelle; a brother, David; and grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were pending.

Lloyd Meeds, 77, former congressman

 

Retired U.S. Repreentative Lloyd Meeds, a former congressman from Washington state, died August 17, 2005, at his home in Church Creek, Maryland., after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.

Mr. Meeds, a Democrat who worked closely with the state’s legendary senators Henry M. Jackson and Warren G. Magnuson, represented the 2nd District in the House for seven terms.

After his retirement in 1979, he had a long career as a partner with the Seattle-based law firm of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. He was connected with the law firm’s D.C. branch.

Mr. Meeds was known for his work on conservation, education and implementing some of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society programs. He also worked on American Indian issues.

He sponsored legislation to create Head Start, the Youth Conservation Corps, school nutrition programs and vocational education support. He helped create the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and the North Cascades National Park.

Mr. Meeds was born in rural Dillon, Montana. His family moved to Monroe, Washington, northeast of Seattle, when he was in high school. After a tour of duty in the Navy, he graduated from Everett Community College and owned and operated a service station in Monroe for four years. He went back to college and graduated second in his class at Gonzaga Law School in 1958.

After working as a deputy prosecutor and in a private practice, he was elected Snohomish County prosecutor in 1962, and served until his election to Congress in 1964.

Some environmentalists and tribes also were unhappy with him, despite his long work on their issues. Frustrated and not wanting to face another grueling, expensive campaign, he announced in late 1977 that he would step down at the end of his term.

He was succeeded in Congress by his close aide, Al Swift, who served for 16 years.

Karen Glover, managing partner of Preston Gates, called him a beloved and highly respected colleague. “Through all of his years in Washington, D.C., Lloyd never forgot his Northwest roots,” she said.

 Mr. Meeds is survived by his wife of more than 35 years, Mary; a daughter, Deborah Kendall; two children from his first marriage, Michael and Michelle; a brother, David; and several grandchildren.

Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds Partner and Former Congressman Lloyd Meeds Passes Away

Lloyd Meeds, former seven-term member of Congress from the state of Washington and partner at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds LLP, the Washington office of Preston Gates Ellis LLP, for over twenty years, passed away last night at his home in Church Creek, Maryland after a long battle with cancer. He was 77 years old.

Meeds represented the Second Congressional District of Washington in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 until his retirement in 1979. Following his retirement from Congress in 1979, Meeds joined Preston Gates Ellis as a partner practicing in the Washington, DC office.

“Lloyd Meeds was a trusted friend, colleague and mentor to many in the firm and he will be greatly missed,” said Emanuel Rouvelas, chairman of Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds. “He cared deeply about issues affecting Washington’s citizens, Native Americans and environmental and educational causes and worked tirelessly in both the U.S. Congress and private sector to be an advocate for those concerns. Lloyd was the definition of integrity and his contributions to the firm are invaluable.”

While in Congress, Meeds served on the House Labor and Education Committee and played key roles in passage of legislation that established Head Start, Youth Conservation Corps, and other initiatives. Through his work on the committee, he also sponsored educational reform legislation including the Vocational Educational Amendment of 1968, the National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act in 1970, and was a key supporter of Title IX of the Education Act of 1972.

Meeds also served as a member on the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, where he established his legacy as a conservationist and advocate for Native Americans. He was pivotal in obtaining passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, which provided for the settlement of claims on Native lands in Alaska and later worked for a resolution to ensure passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). He also played a key role in conservation legislation, including bills to establish the North Cascades National Park and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

“Lloyd Meeds served the state of Washington with distinction and honor,” said former Speaker of the House Tom Foley. “It was a privilege to serve with him in the House of Representatives and his passion and dedication were an inspiration to those who knew him. I was honored to be his friend.”

During his time at Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds, he worked on various projects in a variety of areas. His pro-bono projects included securing funding to help establish a natural resources center at Gonzaga University to conduct environmental research in partnership with industries that were key to the Inland Northwest economy. He worked tirelessly on behalf of Native Americans on issues raised by the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. He also represented the National Coalition for Foster Care to help secure funding to create a program that would help children leaving foster care manage the transition to independent living in 2003.

Meeds also continued to be an effective counsel for the state of Alaska and its interests regarding ANILCA and other matters until his death. Earlier this year, Governor Frank Murkowski of Alaska designated February 28, 2005 as Lloyd Meeds Day in honor of his devotion and dedication to the state and its native people.

“To know Lloyd was to know someone who represented the best of what public service is all about,” said Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA). “He came to Washington to do what he believed was right for the country, and did it for over forty years. He truly was one of a kind.”

Meeds also worked as a leader on several successful legislative efforts to strengthen the US-flag maritime industry, generate seagoing jobs for Americans, streamline government regulation of the industry, and strengthen the nation’s sealift capability. In 1984, he worked on behalf of a coalition of small timber companies utilizing national forests to obtain legislative relief from unprofitable contracts to cut timber on federal lands. In the 1990s, Meeds helped preserve the competitiveness of the American Software industry by relaxing export controls on American encryption products. More recently he was working to reform the U.S. Postal Service so that it could continue to provide universal service at affordable rates.

“Through all of his years in Washington, DC, Lloyd never forgot his Northwest roots,” said Karen Glover, Managing Partner of Preston Gates & Ellis. “He was loved by many and deeply respected throughout the firm.”

A native of Monroe, Washington, Meeds graduated high school in 1946 and served in the U.S. Navy, completing active duty in 1947. Following graduation from Everett Community College in 1950, Meeds owned and operated a service station in Monroe until 1954, when he returned to school to pursue his law degree. He graduated second in his class at the Gonzaga University Law School in 1958. Prior to running for Congress, he was the prosecuting attorney for Snohomish County, Washington from 1962-64.

He is survived by his wife of more than thirty-five years, Mary; three children; a brother; and eight grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

MEEDS, EDWIN LLOYD
SPI3   US NAVY

  • DATE OF BIRTH: 12/12/1927
  • DATE OF DEATH: 08/17/2005
  • BURIED AT: SECTION 69  SITE 1676

 

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

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