Jack R. Gage
Jack R. Gage | |
---|---|
![]() | |
25th Governor of Wyoming | |
In office January 3, 1961 – January 7, 1963 | |
Preceded by | John J. Hickey |
Succeeded by | Clifford Hansen |
15th Secretary of State of Wyoming | |
In office January 5, 1959 – January 3, 1961 | |
Governor | John J. Hickey |
Preceded by | Everett Copenhaver |
Succeeded by | Thyra Thomson |
9th Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction | |
In office January 8, 1935 – 1939 | |
Preceded by | Katherine Morton |
Succeeded by | Esther Anderson |
Personal details | |
Born | Jack Robert Gage January 13, 1899 McCook, Nebraska, U.S. |
Died | March 14, 1970 Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S. | (aged 71)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Leona Switzer |
Children | 2 |
Education | University of Wyoming |
Military service | |
Allegiance | ![]() |
Branch/service | Field Artillery |
Years of service | 1918-1919 |
Battles/wars | World 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
[edit]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
[edit]Superintendent of Public Instruction
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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 | ||
---|---|---|
Office | Name | Term |
Governor | Jack R. Gage | 1961-1963 |
Secretary of State | Jack R. Gage | 1961-1963 |
State Auditor | Minnie A. Mitchell | 1961-1963 |
State Treasurer | Clifford Joy Rogers | 1961-1962 |
Richard J. Luman | 1962-1963 | |
Superintendent of Public Instruction | Velma Linford | 1961-1963 |
Later life and death
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Governor_Jack_R._Gage_and_wife_Buddy_riding_in_the_Frontier_Days_Parade_in_Cheyenne%2C_Wyoming_1962.jpg/220px-Governor_Jack_R._Gage_and_wife_Buddy_riding_in_the_Frontier_Days_Parade_in_Cheyenne%2C_Wyoming_1962.jpg)
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
[edit]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% |
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% |
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% |
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% |
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%' |
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% |
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
[edit]- ^ "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.
- ^ "Gage, Jack R. (Jack Robert), 1899-1970". Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Candidacy Filed By Jack Gage". Casper Star-Tribune. 29 June 1934. p. 2. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Leaves Voice For His Grandchildren". Casper Star-Tribune. 11 May 1937. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Jack Gage To Be Candidate". Casper Star-Tribune. 16 March 1938. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Jack Gage Runs Radio Station". Casper Star-Tribune. 18 July 1940. p. 3. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jack Gage School Supply". Casper Star-Tribune. 25 February 1940. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gage Publishes School Geography". Casper Star-Tribune. 6 September 1940. p. 10. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Gage Elected to Sheridan Faculty". Casper Star-Tribune. 22 May 1941. p. 5. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jack Gage Assumes Postmaster Duties". Casper Star-Tribune. 5 November 1941. p. 10. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Jack Gage Honored". Casper Star-Tribune. 9 September 1957. p. 2. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Jack Gage Files For Secretary". Casper Morning Star. 7 June 1958. p. 4. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Secretary of State 1958 election". Casper Morning Star. 6 November 1958. p. 16. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Gage Reported Seriously Ill". Casper Star-Tribune. 17 July 1968. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "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.