Jack R. Gage

Jack R. Gage
25th Governor of Wyoming
In office
January 3, 1961 – January 7, 1963
Preceded byJohn J. Hickey
Succeeded byClifford Hansen
15th Secretary of State of Wyoming
In office
January 5, 1959 – January 3, 1961
GovernorJohn J. Hickey
Preceded byEverett Copenhaver
Succeeded byThyra Thomson
9th Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction
In office
January 8, 1935 – 1939
Preceded byKatherine Morton
Succeeded byEsther Anderson
Personal details
Born
Jack Robert Gage

(1899-01-13)January 13, 1899
McCook, Nebraska, U.S.
DiedMarch 14, 1970(1970-03-14) (aged 71)
Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLeona Switzer
Children2
EducationUniversity of Wyoming
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceField Artillery
Years of service1918-1919
Battles/warsWorld War I

Jack Robert Gage (January 13, 1899 – March 14, 1970) was an American author, educator, and politician who served as the 25th Governor of Wyoming as a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and education

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Jack Robert Gage was born on January 13, 1899, in McCook, Nebraska to Will Vernon and LaVaughn Gage. In 1905, the family moved to Worland, Wyoming where Gage was raised. In 1918, he served in the army during World War I artillery until he was honorably discharged in 1919. In 1924, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wyoming in agriculture.[1] On September 29, 1922, he married Leona Switzer and would later have two sons with her. From 1924 to 1925, he was a vocational agriculture teacher and from 1929 to 1934, he was a geology and biology teacher.[2]

Career

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Superintendent of Public Instruction

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On June 29, 1934, Gage filed to run for the Democratic nomination for Superintendent of Public Instruction and defeated five other candidates in the August primary.[3][4] In the general election, he easily defeated Katharine A. Morton, the Republican nominee, in a landslide.[5] In 1936, he went to Washington, D.C. to meet with Wyoming's congressional delegation seeking to have Wyoming's act of admission changed so that 33% of oil royalties could be distributed directly to school districts.[6] In 1937, he and five other state officials had their voices recorded and Gage also wrote an essay that were placed into a time capsule which would be opened in 1987.[7][8] On March 16, 1938, he announced that he would seek reelection, but was narrowly defeated in the general election by Republican Esther Anderson.[9][10]

Business and education

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In 1940, he became a manager for a KWYO radio station in Sheridan, invested into a school supply company, and wrote a Wyoming geography book for fifth to eighth grade students.[11][12][13] On May 22, 1941, he was elected to the faculty of the Sheridan High School and on November 5, he assumed the role of Sheridan postmaster which he served as until 1958.[14][15] In 1954, he was elected as president of the Wyoming chapter of the National Association of Postmasters and served until 1955.[16] In 1956, he was elected as district governor for the Rotary International in Sheridan and was a member of a 37-person delegation that visited East and West Berlin and Moscow.[17][18] In 1957, he was given a bronze medal at a banquet by the Crusade for Freedom association after writing the book "Plan for Peace" and spoke about his experience in the Soviet Union.[19]

Governor

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On June 6, 1958, Gage filed to run for the Democratic nomination for Secretary of State and in the general election he narrowly defeated Republican nominee Everett Copenhaver by 1,112 votes.[20][21]

On December 1, 1960, Senator-elect Keith Thomson died causing a vacancy that Governor John J. Hickey chose to fill himself and on December 22, he resigned from office to accept the appointment.[22] According to provisions of the state constitution Gage succeeded Hickey as governor. Before taking office he had to submit forty appointments for state boards and commissions and after taking office had to submit another thirty and with other transition issues to deal with made him unable to attend John F. Kennedy's presidential inauguration.[23][24] During his tenure as governor he supported measures to increase the amount of money given to the states from federal oil royalties and opposed most tax increases.[25] In March 1962, William M. Jack, the Democratic nominee for governor in 1954, announced that he would mount a primary challenge against Gage and Gage narrowly defeated him by 4,176 votes and went on to be defeated in the general election by Teton county commissioner Clifford Hansen.[26]

The Gage Cabinet
OfficeNameTerm
GovernorJack R. Gage1961-1963
Secretary of StateJack R. Gage1961-1963
State AuditorMinnie A. Mitchell1961-1963
State TreasurerClifford Joy Rogers1961-1962
Richard J. Luman1962-1963
Superintendent of Public InstructionVelma Linford1961-1963

Later life and death

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Governor Gage with wife "Buddy" riding in the Frontier Days Parade in Cheyenne, WY, July 1962

Following his defeat he vacationed in Australia for several months from 1963 to 1964 where he traveled over 9,000 miles and later wrote about it for a magazine.[27][28] In 1966, he announced that he would run in the Democratic primary for governor, but was defeated in the primary and later that year published "Wyoming Afoot and Horseback".[29]

In July 1968, he had his kidney removed and suffered an illness two weeks later.[30] Gage died on March 14, 1970, at his home in Cheyenne after suffering from cancer for several months at age 71.[31]

Electoral history

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Jack R. Gage electoral history
1934 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jack R. Gage 5,474 20.08%
Democratic Maude Sholty 5,061 18.57%
Democratic Gilbert E. Johnson 4,695 17.22%
Democratic Ida M. B. Anderson 4,523 16.59%
Democratic Elmer J. Halseth 3,819 14.01%
Democratic M. A. Thrasher 3,685 13.52%
Total votes 27,257 100.00%
1934 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jack R. Gage 41,949 61.56%
Republican Katharine A. Morton (incumbent) 26,191 38.44%
Total votes 68,140 100.00%
1938 Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Esther Anderson 48,449 52.63% +14.19%
Democratic Jack R. Gage (incumbent) 43,606 47.37% −14.19%
Total votes 92,055 100.00%
1958 Wyoming Secretary of State election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jack R. Gage 55,724 50.50%
Republican Everett Copenhaver (incumbent) 54,612 49.50%
Total votes 110,336 100.00%
1962 Wyoming Gubernatorial Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Jack R. Gage (incumbent) 21,051 55.51%
Democratic William M. Jack 16,875 44.50%
Total votes '37,926' '100.00%'
1962 Wyoming Gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Clifford Hansen 64,970 54.47% +7.83%
Democratic Jack R. Gage (incumbent) 54,298 45.53% −3.41%
Total votes 119,268 100.00%
1966 Wyoming Gubernatorial Democratic primary
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Ernest Wilkerson 13,145 31.07%
Democratic Bill Nation 9,834 23.25%
Democratic Jack R. Gage 8,661 20.47%
Democratic Raymond B. Whitaker 6,238 14.75%
Democratic Howard L. Burke 4,426 10.46%
Total votes 42,304 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ "Ex-Wyoming Governor, Jack R. Gage, 71, Dies". The Salt Lake Tribune. 16 March 1970. p. 23. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Gage, Jack R. (Jack Robert), 1899-1970". Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Candidacy Filed By Jack Gage". Casper Star-Tribune. 29 June 1934. p. 2. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Democratic primary". Casper Star-Tribune. 23 August 1934. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction general election". Casper Star-Tribune. 7 November 1934. p. 2. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Jack Gage Is On Way To Washington". Casper Star-Tribune. 22 April 1936. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Leaves Voice For His Grandchildren". Casper Star-Tribune. 11 May 1937. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "State officials open old time capsule". Casper Star-Tribune. 3 January 1987. p. 13. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Jack Gage To Be Candidate". Casper Star-Tribune. 16 March 1938. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Superintendent of Public Instruction 1938 results". Casper Star-Tribune. 29 November 1938. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Jack Gage Runs Radio Station". Casper Star-Tribune. 18 July 1940. p. 3. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Jack Gage School Supply". Casper Star-Tribune. 25 February 1940. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Gage Publishes School Geography". Casper Star-Tribune. 6 September 1940. p. 10. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Gage Elected to Sheridan Faculty". Casper Star-Tribune. 22 May 1941. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Jack Gage Assumes Postmaster Duties". Casper Star-Tribune. 5 November 1941. p. 10. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Sheridan Man Elected To Head Postmasters". Casper Star-Tribune. 13 June 1954. p. 20. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Sheridan Man Elected As Rotary Governor". Casper Morning Star. 26 April 1956. p. 3. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Sheridan Man Plans Visit to Moscow". Casper Morning Star. 2 May 1956. p. 12. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Jack Gage Honored". Casper Star-Tribune. 9 September 1957. p. 2. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Jack Gage Files For Secretary". Casper Morning Star. 7 June 1958. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Secretary of State 1958 election". Casper Morning Star. 6 November 1958. p. 16. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Hickey Resigns - Gage Appoints Him Senator". Casper Morning Star. 23 December 1960. p. 2. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ "Gage to Appoint Seventy Persons to State Offices". Casper Star-Tribune. 30 December 1960. p. 3. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Gage Won't Go To Kennedy Inauguration". Casper Morning Star. 29 December 1960. p. 16. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "Gage to Urge Return of More Oil Royalties". Casper Star-Tribune. 16 June 1961. p. 7. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ "Gage Reains Mum On Jack's Entry". Casper Morning Star. 22 March 1962. p. 9. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Aborigines Ahead In Bathing Suits - Gage". Casper Morning Star. 25 July 1964. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Jack Gage Writes for Magazine in Australia". Casper Star-Tribune. 22 September 1965. p. 3. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "New Gage Book Leaves History To Readers". Casper Star-Tribune. 28 October 1966. p. 21. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Gage Reported Seriously Ill". Casper Star-Tribune. 17 July 1968. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Jack Gage, Former Acting Gov., Dies". Casper Star-Tribune. 16 March 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Wyoming
1962
Succeeded by
Ernest Wilkerson
Political offices
Preceded by
Everett T. Copenhaver
Secretary of State of Wyoming
1959-1963
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Wyoming
January 2, 1961 – January 7, 1963
Succeeded by