Russell W. Peterson

Russell Wilbur "Russ" Peterson (born October 3, 1916 in Portage , Columbia County , Wisconsin , † February 21, 2011 in Centerville , New Castle County , Delaware ) was an American politician . He was governor of the state of Delaware from 1969 to 1973 .

Early years and advancement

Russell Peterson studied chemistry at the University of Wisconsin until 1942 . He then worked as a chemist in a research facility at a company in Wilmington . For the next 26 years he was involved in research as well as in production and sales. After all, he was also on the company's board of directors. Peterson was very committed to the environment.

Politically, he hardly made an appearance until 1968. He became a member of the Republican Party , which in 1968 nominated him as its candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election. He won these elections with 51% against the Democratic incumbent Charles L. Terry . The elections of 1968 in the United States saw the Republican Party generally on the upswing, with Richard Nixon as president.

Delaware Governor

Peterson took up his new office on January 21, 1969. One of his first acts was the withdrawal of the National Guard from Wilmington, which his predecessor Terry had sent there to fight racial unrest. He reformed the government apparatus of his state. Peterson also stood up for environmental protection as governor. He was the driving force behind the so-called "Coastal Zone Act" of 1972. This protected a two-mile deep coastal strip, which made up as much as 20% of the area of ​​the state, from heavy industry in order to reduce environmental and water pollution in the area to reduce. Other states on the Atlantic coast were to follow suit later.

Peterson did not have a happy hand in budgetary terms. During his tenure, the national debt grew to five million dollars, which was a huge shortfall for a small state like Delaware. That cost Peterson re-election in 1972. He was defeated in the elections against the former Lieutenant Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt with 49% to 51% of the vote. Therefore, he had to resign on January 16, 1973 from his office.

Another résumé

After his tenure ended, Peterson became President of the National Audubon Society . In 1996 he joined the Democratic Party . The reason he gave was a shift to the right among the Republicans. Russell Peterson was married to Lillian Turner, who died in 1994. He had four children with her. He was married to June Jenkins until his death.

Web links

• Russel Peterson in the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Delaware (English)
• Russell Peterson W. in the database of Find a Grave (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Former Delaware governor Peterson dies at 94.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Announcement on delawareonline.com dated February 21, 2011 (accessed November 14, 2014).  
2. ^ Delaware Gov. Russel W. Peterson recalled as a visionary leader. Obituary on delawareonline.com of February 23, 2014 (accessed November 14, 2014).