William Lehman, 91; Florida Democrat on House Transit Panel
William Lehman, 91, a former used car salesman who became an authority on transportation issues during 20 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, died Wednesday at a hospital in Miami Beach after a bout with pneumonia.
The longtime Democratic congressman, who served from 1973 to 1993, was a member of the Appropriations Committee and chairman of its transportation subcommittee, which distributed billions of dollars in federal projects. He was a champion of public transit, particularly light-rail systems.
He also helped guide the passage of legislation that permitted federal workers to donate their paid leave time to co-workers and went on several mercy trips, including a 1984 flight to Moscow to smuggle an artificial heart valve to a patient who was a relative of one of his south Florida constituents.
The son of a candy entrepreneur, Lehman was born in Selma, Ala., and graduated from the University of Alabama. His business interests led him to Miami, where he entered the car industry.
A member of Mensa International, he later studied at Oxford University and became a high school English teacher.
He won a seat on the Dade County school board before winning election to Congress.
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