Bill Graves

Bill Graves (2010)

William Preston "Bill" Graves (born January 9, 1953 in Salina , Saline County , Kansas ) is an American politician . He was the 43rd governor of the state of Kansas from 1995 to 2003 .

Early years and political advancement

Bill Graves' family owned a freight forwarding company called Graves Truck Line . He attended Kansas Wesleyan University and the University of Kansas . In 1991 he became Secretary of State in the Kansas State Government. In this position he made an excellent impression. Therefore, he was nominated as a candidate for gubernatorial elections in 1994 by the Republican Party , especially by its more liberal wing.

Kansas Governor

Graves took up his new office on January 9, 1995. At this point he was one of the youngest governors of Kansas ever. After a successful re-election in 1998, he was able to serve a total of eight years. During this time, the governor promoted the extensive expansion of the infrastructure, including the highways, railways and airports. He was keen to improve the transport options in his state. Also in his day, Kansas taxes were cut and some public services were streamlined or privatized. He also promoted the expansion of the education system. In the health care sector, he advocated the closure of some large state hospitals; for this purpose, local, decentralized facilities should be created that should better reach and serve patients.

The governor was also against personal gain in public office. At that time the economy took off in Kansas after a slight depression in previous years. So popular was Graves that his re-election in 1998, with 74% of the vote, was one of the biggest electoral victories of a Kansas governor ever. Due to a constitutional clause, he was not allowed to run for a third consecutive term in 2002. Therefore, his term of office ended on January 13, 2003.

Further life

After his tenure ended, Graves became President of the American Trucking Associations . At times he was in talks for a cabinet post with the federal government. Bill Graves is married to Linda Richey and the couple have one child.

Web links

• Bill Graves in the National Governors Association (English)
• Biography at the Kansas Historical Society (English)
• Bill Graves in the nndb (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Bill Graves, ATA President & CEO. (No longer available online.) American Trucking Associations, Inc., archived from the original on March 7, 2013 ; accessed on June 4, 2012 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.