Burton M. Cross

Burton Melvin Cross (born November 15, 1902 in Gardiner , Kennebec County , Maine , † October 22, 1998 in Augusta , Kennebec County, Maine) was an American politician and governor of Maine from 1952 to 1955 .

Early years and political advancement

Burton Cross attended local schools in his home country. Since 1933 he was politically active. That year he was elected to Augusta City Council for four years. He was a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 1941 to 1945 and a member of the State Senate from 1945 to 1952 . In 1949 and 1952 it was even president of this body.

Governor of Maine

In the gubernatorial elections of 1952, Cross was elected as his Republican Party candidate for the new governor of Maine. His term of office was supposed to start on January 7, 1953. But since the incumbent governor Frederick G. Payne resigned from his office on December 24, 1952, Cross had to take over the office of governor as Senate President according to the constitution on that day. But since his time as Senate President already expired on January 5, 1953, Nathaniel Haskell, the new Senate President on January 6, 1953, had to serve as governor for one day before Cross could take up his new office on January 7. During his two-year term of office, the terms of office of the members of the Autobahn Committee were extended to seven years. The country's finance ministry has been restructured and the health system has been improved. On the other hand, the governor was embroiled in a bribery scandal that cost him a lot of reputation. That also cost him the desired re-election in 1954.

Another résumé

After being voted out of office, Cross withdrew from politics. In the following years until 1971 he was involved in insurance and the stock market. After that, he retired. He died on October 22, 1998 at the age of 96. Burton Cross was married to Olena R. Moulton, with whom he had two children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Burton Cross at the National Governors Association (English)
• The political Graveyard (English)
• Burton M. Cross in the database of Find a Grave (English)