John Swainson

John B. Swainson (1961)

John Burley Swainson (born July 31, 1925 in Windsor , Ontario , † May 13, 1994 in Manchester , Michigan ) was an American lawyer and politician and from 1961 to 1963 the 42nd governor of the state of Michigan.

Early years and political advancement

At the age of two, John Swainson and his parents came to Port Huron , Michigan from Canada . There he attended the local schools. During the Second World War he was a soldier in the US Army . In a mine explosion near Metz on November 15, 1944, he lost both legs. After months of rehabilitation, he learned to walk independently with artificial legs. After the war, he continued his education at Olivet College . There he graduated in 1947. After all, Swainson studied law at the University of North Carolina until 1951 .

Swainson was a member of the Democratic Party . Between 1954 and 1958 he was a member of the Michigan Senate . In 1958 he was elected lieutenant governor of his state. In this capacity he was from 1959 to 1961 the representative of Governor G. Mennen Williams in his sixth and final term. On November 8, 1960 he was elected the new governor. At 35, he was the youngest Michigan governor of the 20th century. The record is held by Governor Stevens Mason , who was only 24 years old when he took office in 1835.

Michigan governor

John Swainson began his two-year term on January 2, 1961. During this period taxes were introduced on the use of telephones and telegraphs. The judicial process has been simplified. Additional taxes were levied on alcohol and cigarettes to finance schools. A separate health insurance model has been proposed for the elderly. On the other hand, Michigan parliamentarian pensions have been tax exempt. In 1962, Swainson's candidacy for re-election failed. He was defeated by the Republican George W. Romney and had to give up his office on January 1, 1963.

Further life

In 1963 Swainson supported Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement by participating in the Walk of Freedom in Detroit. That year he was also a member of the Democratic National Committee . Between 1965 and 1971 Swainson was a district court judge. Between 1971 and 1975 he served in the same capacity at the Michigan Supreme Court . There he faced a bribery charge in 1975. He was acquitted of this charge. But he was found guilty of perjury and sentenced to 60 days in prison. That cost him his judicial office. In the meantime he even lost his license to practice law. He later became an antique dealer and chairman of the Michigan Historical Commission . John Swainson died on May 13, 1994. He was married to Alice Nielsen, who died in 2004, with whom he had two children.

Web links

• John Swainson in the National Governors Association (English)
• The Political Graveyard (English)
• John Swainson in the database of Find a Grave (English)