John M. Dalton

John M. Dalton, 1963

John Montgomery Dalton (born November 9, 1900 in Vernon County , Missouri , † July 7, 1972 in Jefferson City , Missouri) was an American politician and from 1961 to 1965 the 45th  governor of the state of Missouri.

Early years and political advancement

John Dalton attended the High School in Columbia and then studied at the University of Missouri law. There he took his law exam in 1923. Then he started working as a lawyer. Between 1944 and 1953 he served as the Kennett City Legal Counsel . He also represented a large electricity supplier in the country legally. In 1952 he became Attorney General of Missouri. He held this office until 1960. On November 8, 1960, he was elected as a candidate for the Democratic Party for governor of his state, where he prevailed with 58:42 percent of the vote against the Republican Edward G. Farmer.

Missouri governor

John Dalton took up his new office on January 9, 1961. During his four-year tenure, the road traffic laws in Missouri were tightened, including the introduction of seat belts. At that time, racial equality in schools was under discussion, which was controversial in Missouri. Ultimately, however, the racial segregated schools were also abolished here. It was then that the Ozark National River Way was created .

After the end of his governorship in January 1965, Dalton retired from politics. He died on July 7, 1972 and was buried in Kennett. John Dalton was married to Geraldine Hall, with whom he had two children.

Web links

• John Dalton at the National Governors Association (English)
• John M. Dalton in the database of Find a Grave (English)