Sir Robert Michael Marshall, (21 June 1930 – 6 September 2006), usually known as Michael Marshall, was a British businessman, politician, cricketer and author. After a career in the steel industry, he was Conservative Member of Parliament for Arundel for 23 years, from the February 1974 general election until the constituency was abolished in 1997. He was the first MP with an MBA from Harvard, and was a junior government minister in Margaret Thatcher's first government, from 1979 to 1981. He was heavily engaged with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and had interests in theatre, cricket, golf, and wrote a number of books. Early and private life Marshall was born in Sheffield. His father was a printer, and his mother performed in music hall. He was educated at Bradfield College before began he a business career. He joined United Steel in Sheffield in 1951, managed a branch in Calcutta from 1954 to 1958, obtained an MBA from Harvard University in 1960, and also studied at Stanford University, and then managed a branch in Bombay until 1964. He was commercial director at the company's steelworks in Workington from 1964, and then moved to become managing director of engineering group Head Wrightson Export in 1967. He joined Urwick Orr & Partners as a management consultant in 1969. He married Caroline Oliphant in 1972, acquiring two stepdaughters. Political career He joined the Young Conservatives in 1950, but remained relatively inactive in politics until 1970, when he contested The Hartlepools, a safe Labour seat. He became MP for Arundel in the February 1974 general election, and retained his seat until his retirement from politics in 1997. In Parliament, his knowledge of the steel industry made him an effective critic of Sir Don Ryder's plan to nationalise British Leyland. He was a member of the Select Committee on Nationalised Industries, and realised that British Steel Corporation needed major reconstruction. He was able to implement his ideas when he became Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Industry in 1979, under Sir Keith Joseph, where his portfolio that included aerospace, information technology, telecommunications, the Post Office, shipbuilding, space and steel. He was a strong supporter of Japanese investment in British industry. He oversaw the denationalisation of Cable & Wireless and the launch of Teletext. Marshall returned to the back benches in 1981, when Margaret Thatcher carried out the first major reshuffle of her government. He took an