George Pardee

George Pardee (born July 25, 1857 in San Francisco , California , † September 1, 1941 in Oakland , California) was an American politician and the 21st Governor of California .

youth

George Pardee was the only child of Enoch Homer Pardee (1826-1896) and his wife Mary Elizabeth (1830-1870), whose maiden name was also Pardee (the parents were distant cousins). His father was a noted ophthalmologist in San Francisco and Oakland, and also Mayor of Oakland from 1876 to 1878. George grew up in Oakland and graduated from the University of California . Then he studied medicine at Cooper Medical College in San Francisco. In 1885 he traveled to Germany to continue and complete his medical training at the University of Leipzig . Upon his return, he joined his father's practice and specialized in eye and ear diseases.

Political rise

Much like his father, Pardee was also interested in politics. He joined the Republican Party and was elected to Oakland City Council and the Health Committee. In 1893 he won the elections for Mayor of Oakland and remained in office for a term until 1895. His political ascent did not go unnoticed by the Republicans at the state level, which in 1902 earned him the nomination as a candidate for the gubernatorial elections. However, this was preceded by internal party discussions. Acting Governor Henry Gage was unsustainable for many Republicans because of his stubborn attitude towards the press, other states, and the federal government in connection with a plague epidemic in San Francisco. Gage had simply denied the existence of the epidemic and now the whole of California was threatened with quarantine, which would have been tantamount to a boycott of California goods. The Republicans wanted to prevent this at all costs.

However, in the run-up to the election, the party was split into two camps. The conservative camp wanted to continue to pursue a capital-friendly policy in the interests of companies, especially the railway companies, while the progressive wing campaigned for reforms. Both factions agreed on Pardee as their compromise candidate. Pardee's medical knowledge was very helpful with regard to the still existing disease. The election itself ended very closely. Pardee won with less than 3000 votes ahead of his Democratic rival Franklin Knight Lane , who later became the US Secretary of the Interior .

Governor of California

Pardee was sworn in as the 21st governor of California on January 7, 1903 and immediately began to take action to contain the plague. The bubonic plague that broke out in 1900 had always been officially ignored and now it was high time for a political about-face. On the one hand, there was a risk of nationwide expansion with many illnesses and deaths, on the other hand, California was economically threatened by a quarantine. Pardee was now working closely with federal agencies. The epidemic was brought under control by the end of 1904. However, almost 200 people had lost their lives.

The governor also worked to improve California's education system. For agriculture he fought for large-scale irrigation projects to increase production, and an important agricultural school was founded during his tenure, which was soon to achieve nationwide recognition. A new forest law to protect forests against wild land speculation and forest fires was also passed during his term of office. He also ensured a better water supply for large parts of the population by providing healthy drinking water in the mountains. His politics received the utmost recognition in Washington . President Theodore Roosevelt was so impressed by Pardee that he him for the presidential elections of 1904 , the vice-presidential candidacy offered. Pardee declined to continue working in California. Both politicians remained close political friends.

The most famous event of his tenure was the San Francisco earthquake in April 1906. Immediately after receiving the news, Pardee set the National Guard in motion towards San Francisco to maintain order. However, soldiers of the US Army stationed in San Francisco had already taken on this task . Pardee moved his headquarters to Oakland. In the following days he worked 20 hours a day as head of the crisis team. He visited the devastated regions, coordinated aid deliveries and kept in touch with the outside world. His crisis management met with great approval everywhere.

End of term as governor

Despite his successes, Pardee had failed to bridge the divide within the party. There was still a conservative and a progressive wing. On some points Pardee's policies met with resistance from the powerful Southern Pacific Railroad , with which he had already clashed as Mayor of Oakland in the 1890s. In 1902, the railroad had supported the compromise candidate Pardee as what they saw as the lesser evil. Some of his political decisions as governor have now been classified as threatening to them by the influential railroad. The railway used its influence on the Republican Party and ensured that the conservative wing had a clear majority at the 1906 electoral congress. As a result, Pardee was denied renewed candidacy. Instead, James Gillett, a loyal supporter of the conservative party wing and the railroad, was nominated.

Old age and death

After his tenure ended in January 1907, Pardee remained politically active. He moved to Oakland and in 1912 was one of the co-founders of the so-called Bull Moose Party , the progressive party founded by Theodore Roosevelt . In this party the supporters of the reform wing of the Republicans found themselves again. From 1924 until shortly before his death he was head of the East Bay water supply company.

Pardee died on September 1, 1941 at the age of 84. He had been married to Helen Newhall Penniman since 1887 and had four daughters with her. Until the death of their youngest daughter, Helen Penniman Pardee (1981), the family lived on the Pardee family estate in Oakland. In 1991 it was opened to the public as a museum.

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personal data
SURNAME	Pardee, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	July 25, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH	San Francisco , California
DATE OF DEATH	September 1, 1941
Place of death	Oakland , California