Arch A. Moore

Arch A. Moore (1961)

Arch Alfred Moore (born April 16, 1923 in Moundsville , Marshall County , West Virginia , † January 7, 2015 in Charleston , West Virginia) was an American politician ( Republican Party ). He was the 28th governor from 1969 to 1977 and the 30th governor of the state of West Virginia from 1985 to 1989 .

Early years and political advancement

Arch Moore attended Lafayette College in Easton and West Virginia University in Morgantown . He then joined his family's law firm in Moundsville. During the Second World War he served in the US Army. Moore's political career began in 1953 when he was elected to the West Virginia House of Representatives. He stayed there until 1955. Between 1957 and 1969, Moore was a member of the US House of Representatives in Washington . In 1968 he was elected as his party's candidate for governor of West Virginia.

West Virginia Governor

Moore's tenure began on January 13, 1969. A constitutional amendment made it possible for him as the first governor of West Virginia since 1872 to run for a second, contiguous, term. He made use of this option and after a successful re-election in 1972 came to a total of eight consecutive years of office. During this time the administration was rebuilt. In doing so, he built partly on plans drawn up by Cecil H. Underwood between 1957 and 1961. This included the establishment of a separate ministry for highways and the construction of transit routes. In the field of educational policy, the so-called Board of Regents was set up, a kind of school supervisory authority with the task of managing and controlling the universities in the country. The construction of additional public kindergartens was also promoted.

Governor Moore also had to deal with labor disputes. He brokered a compromise in a nationwide strike by coal miners. On the other hand, he fired road workers on strike. In February 1972, a dam broke in Logan County , in which 125 people lost their lives and 4,000 more lost their belongings. An investigation found that the cause of the accident was illegal mining activities in the area. The Pittston Coal Company was sentenced to pay the victims $ 13.5 million in damages. Despite the state suing the company for $ 100 million, Governor Moore negotiated down to a million. In 1975, Moore and his campaign aide were charged with extortion. He became the first incumbent governor of West Virginia to face charges. However, both defendants were acquitted.

Between the two terms

At the end of his second term on January 17, 1977, Moore worked as a lawyer. In 1978 an attempt to be elected to the US Senate failed . Also unsuccessful was his candidacy for a return to the office of governor in 1980. Four years later he was more successful and he made the leap to the governor's mansion of West Virginia again.

Second term

With his election victory, Moore became the first governor of his state to serve three four-year terms. His new term began on January 14, 1985. He replaced Jay Rockefeller , who had succeeded him in 1977. His third term in office was overshadowed by an economic crisis that led to high unemployment, especially in the coal industry. The government then reduced the employer's social security contribution. Otherwise, Moore devoted himself to further expanding the transport network. In 1988 he ran again for another term; this time he was defeated by his Democratic challenger Gaston Caperton .

Another résumé

In 1990, Moore came into conflict with the law. As in 1975, it was about blackmail and corruption. This time it was over $ 573,000. Moore initially pleaded guilty, but then retracted this confession. He was found guilty and spent over two years in prison. These events have subsequently obscured the governor's image. His daughter Shelley Moore Capito was a member of the US House of Representatives for West Virginia from 2001 to 2015. She has been in the US Senate since 2015. Arch A. Moore died in Charleston on January 7, 2015, at the age of 91.

Web links

• Arch A. Moore in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Arch A. Moore in the database of the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of West Virginia (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Sam Roberts: Arch Moore, 91, West Virginia Trail Blazer, Dies. In: The New York Times, January 8, 2015 (accessed January 9, 2015).