Henry Bellmon

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Henry Bellmon

Henry Louis Bellmon (born September 3, 1921 in Tonkawa , Kay County , Oklahoma , † September 29, 2009 in Enid , Oklahoma) was an American politician ( Republican Party ). From 1963 to 1967 he was the 18th and from 1987 to 1991 the 23rd governor of Oklahoma and represented this state in the US Senate from 1969 to 1981 .

Early years and political advancement

After elementary school, Bellmon attended Oklahoma State University until 1942 . During World War II he was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps , of which he was a member until 1946. Bellmon was deployed in the Pacific and received several awards for its military achievements. After the war, he worked as a farmer in Noble County , Oklahoma.

Bellmon was a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1946 to 1948 . From 1960 and 1962 he was chairman of the Republican Party of Oklahoma. In 1962 he became the first Republican ever to be elected governor of his state. He won with 55:44 percent of the vote against the Democrat W. P. Atkinson.

First term in governorship

Henry Bellmon took up his new office on January 4, 1963. In the following years he was anxious to find a compromise with the Democrats, who made up the majority in the legislature. During this time, the political weighting of the legislature was reformed in favor of urban areas. His attempt to improve school policy failed in part due to a lack of financial resources. At that time, an industrial commission was created and a committee to look after state parks was established. Governor Bellmon was a member of several governors' associations and chaired the Interstate Oil Compact Commission , a union of the US oil-producing states. The state constitution was changed so that from now on the governors could complete two consecutive terms of office. However, this regulation only came into effect after Bellmon's tenure. Therefore, after four years, he left office in January 1967.

Membership in the US Senate and other activities

After the end of his tenure, Bellmon devoted himself for a short time to his private interests, which included his farm in particular. Between 1969 and 1981 he then represented his state in the US Senate. After resigning from this body, he was temporarily head of the Department of Human Services in Oklahoma in 1983 , before being re-elected governor of his state in 1986.

Second term in governor

Bellmon began his second term on January 12, 1987. In the following years he was chairman of the Southern States Energy Board . Otherwise, his term of office passed without any noteworthy events. In 1990 he declined to run again and therefore resigned from the office of governor in January 1991.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Bellmon returned to his agricultural interests. He also lectured at various universities in Oklahoma. Most recently he lived in Red Rock. Governor Bellmon was married to Shirley Osborn, with whom he had three children.

Henry Bellmon died on September 29, 2009 of complications from Parkinson's disease .

Web links