Philip W. Noel

Philip W. Noel

Philip William Noel (born January 6, 1931 in Providence , Rhode Island ) is a former American politician . He was governor of the state of Rhode Island from 1973 to 1977 .

Early years and political advancement

Philip Noel attended Brown University after primary school until 1954 and then studied law at Georgetown University until 1957. Originally, he wanted to work for the FBI . He changed this plan after US Senator John O. Pastore found him a job in the Senate mail room.

Senator Pastore remained Noel's mentor. Both were members of the Democratic Party . As early as 1958, Pastore Noel encouraged Noel to run for membership in Warwick City Council . This was initially unsuccessful. Two years later, however, he was elected to this body. Noel was mayor of the city between 1967 and 1972.

Governor of Rhode Island

In 1972 Philip Noel was elected as the new governor of his state. He took office on January 2, 1973 and was able to exercise it until January 4, 1977. During this time he served on the board of directors of the National Governors Association and chairman of the Association of Governors of the Democratic Party.

Another résumé

After John Pastore announced his retirement from the Senate, Noel applied for his position. However, after his characterization of poverty among African Americans in the spring of 1976 met with general opposition and rejection, he not only had to resign from his chairmanship of the Association of Democratic Governors, but also buried his hopes for a seat in Congress . Instead, Republican John Chafee was elected Senator. After this defeat, Noel worked as a lawyer. Today he lives in Estero , Florida with his wife Joyce Sandberg, with whom he has five children .

Web links

• Philip Noel in the National Governors Association (English)