Barbara Franklin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 29th United States Secretary of Commerce | |
| In office February 27, 1992 – January 20, 1993 | |
| President | George H. W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Robert Mosbacher |
| Succeeded by | Ron Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Barbara Ann Hackman March 19, 1940 Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Wallace Barnes (1986–2020) |
| Education | Pennsylvania State University, University Park (BA) Harvard University (MBA) |
Barbara Hackman Franklin (born March 19, 1940) is an American government official, corporate director, and business executive. She served as the 29th U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1992 to 1993 to President George H. W. Bush, during which she led a presidential mission to China.
Before her cabinet position, Franklin served in the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan. She was one of the original commissioners and first vice chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In 2006, she received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service.
Franklin has served on the board of directors of 18 companies, including Dow Chemical, Aetna Inc., Westinghouse, and Nordstrom. Directorship magazine and the American Management Association named her one of the most influential people in corporate governance, and in 2014, she was inducted into the Directorship 100 Hall of Fame. She is the president and CEO of Barbara Franklin Enterprises, a private international consulting firm.
Franklin was one of the first women graduates of the Harvard Business School.[1] She was married to Wallace Barnes, retired Chair and CEO of Barnes Group.