Ford Quint Elvidge

Ford Quint Elvidge (born November 30, 1892 in Oakland , California - †  July 14, 1980 ) was an American politician . Between 1953 and 1956 he was governor of Guam .

Career

Ford Elvidge grew up in Oakland and moved with his family to Vancouver , Canada in 1911 . In 1916 he came to Seattle , Washington state . After a subsequent law degree at the University of Washington and his admission to the bar in 1919, he began to work in this profession in a large law firm in Seattle. He later founded his own company, for which he worked until 1974 with the interruptions during his time in Guam. In the meantime he was a member of the Reserve Corps of the US Army in 1917 and 1918 during the First World War . He was trained in the army medical service. But he was no longer actively involved in the war.

Politically, Elvidge was a member of the Republican Party . In 1952 he unsuccessfully applied for his party's nomination for the office of lieutenant governor of Washington. After President Dwight D. Eisenhower took office , he was appointed as the new governor of Guam to succeed Carlton Skinner . He had actually not aspired to this position. The appointment came about at the suggestion of some political friends in Washington State who had decisive influence in the federal capital Washington, DC . Elvidge served in his new office between April 23, 1953 and his resignation on May 19, 1956. He campaigned for an improvement in the medical infrastructure and the school system. He also tried to be economical. An attempt to adapt the agriculture of its outer area to western standards had little success. Elvidge improved the general infrastructure of Guam. However, he also had problems with the domestic legislature, which was often in opposition to the governor. There was tension. In the meantime, Elvidge has been accused of dictatorial behavior. Finally he resigned on May 19, 1956 from his office.

After the end of his time as governor, he practiced again as a lawyer in Seattle. He has served as President of the Seattle Bar Association and a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington State Bar Association. He also served as legal advisor to the British Consul in Seattle. He was also active in the Masonic movement. He died on July 14, 1980; he had three children with his wife Anita.

Web links

• Short biography in the Guampedia