Profile: Arthur R. Seder, Jr. was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1920 and grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended the University of Minnesota for one year, and then transferred to Northwestern University. Realizing that the United States would soon be involved in World War II, Mr. Seder left college in October, 1941 to join the Army Air Corps aerial navigation training program. After graduating and receiving his commission, he served as a navigation instructor and administrator, traveling with his wife, Marion (married in 1942), to bases all over the South. In 1943 he entered pilot training, receiving his pilot's wings in March, 1944. After B-17 transition and crew training, Mr. Seder and his crew flew to England in October 1944, where they were assigned to the 401st Bomb Group based in Deenethorpe.
After flying five missions, Mr. Seder was assigned to lead crew training and flew the remainder of his 26 missions in squadron lead or deputy lead positions, flying as Group Air Commander on his last mission. He was assigned to the position of Assistant Group Operations Officer in January 1945 and was thereafter promoted to the rank of Major.
When the war ended, Mr. Seder entered Northwestern University Law School, graduating magna cum laude. He was then appointed a law clerk to Chief Justice Vinson of the United States Supreme Court, where he spent the years 1948-1950. Following service in Washington, Mr. Seder joined the Chicago law firm of Sidley & Austin. After practicing in Chicago for ten years, he was appointed General Counsel of American Natural Resources Company, a large natural gas pipeline and distribution company, with headquarters in Detroit. He served in that capacity until 1973, when he was elected President of the company. In 1976 he was elected Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. While living in Detroit, Mr. Seder held a number of civic positions and also became a member of the boards of directors of three major corporations. Mr. and Mrs. Seder raised three children while living in Chicago and Detroit: James (1945), Susan (1946), and Elizabeth (1951).
Following his retirement, Mr. Seder resumed the practice of law in Washington, D.C. and operated a cattle farm in northern Virginia. In 1998, Mr. and Mrs. Seder moved to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they now make their home.
Mr. Seder continued to fly private aircraft throughout his career until the age of 80. He was elected Vice President of the 401st Bombardment Group (H) Association in 1994, and President of the group in 2002. He has been instrumental in preserving the history of that group through establishment and design of the 401st Memorial at Deenethorpe, United Kingdom, helping to establish a website for the Association (www.401.bg), and helping to found and serving on the Board of Trustees of the Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum in Savannah, Georgia. His contributions to the war effort, to aviation, and to preserving the history of the men and women who fought to uphold our nation's freedoms will be long remembered by his many friends, colleagues, and especially his family.