Tony Knowles (politician)

Tony Knowles

Anthony Carroll "Tony" Knowles (born January 1, 1943 in Tulsa , Oklahoma ) is an American politician of the Democratic Party . He was governor of the US state of Alaska from 1994 to 2002 .

Early years and political advancement

Tony Knowles was born in Tulsa in 1943. He joined the US Army in 1962 , where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division . He also volunteered for service in Vietnam between 1964 and 1965. After his military service, he attended Yale University , where he then earned his bachelor's degree in economics in 1968 . He then moved to Alaska to work as a roughneck on the Cook Inlet and North Slope oil fields. A year later he opened his first restaurant, Grizzly Burgers . With some help from partners, he was able to expand to three locations and then opened the Downtown Deli . He also served in the Anchorage Assembly between 1975 and 1979 .

Knowles decided to embark on a political career in 1981 by being elected mayor of Anchorage , an office he held until 1987. As Mayor, he helped the private sector create hundreds of new jobs and prepared Anchorage for the future by providing city services and an 11-mile jogger and cross-machine trail that was later renamed the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail . He then served on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council between 1988 and 1989 and initiated efforts to stop fish extermination and deplete other fish resources in Alaska.

Alaska Governor

Tony Knowles was elected Governor of Alaska in 1994. He held the office from December 5, 1994 to December 2, 2002. Since terms of office for the governor's post in Alaska are limited to two consecutive, he had to resign from office. During his tenure, he initiated the “Smart Start” program, which ensures the health care of all children, strengthened the prevention programs and was uncompromising in child abuse and neglect . His Quality Schools Initiative improved Alaska's schools by combining legally binding standards, comprehensive reviews, and remedial action with the increase in financial support for schools.

Another résumé

In 2004 he lost the election to the US Senator for the state of Alaska with 46% against the 49% of the incumbent Lisa Murkowski . Since Alaska allows a third election - with a break of at least four years - for the post of governor, he reapplied in 2006, but lost the election with 41% to the Republican Sarah Palin , who got 48% (the candidate of the Independent, Andrew Halcro, got 9% ).

In April 2010, Knowles was appointed to the Advisory Board of the National Park System by US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar .

Honors

He was honored by the National Congress of American Indians in 2001 for his longstanding support for the Native Americans .

Web links

• Tony Knowles in the nndb (English)
• Knowles at the National Governors Association (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ State of Alaska, 2006 General Election, November 7, 2006, Official Results ( Memento of the original from March 20, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English). 
2. ↑ JuneauEmpire: Former Gov. Knowles appointed to national board ( Memento of the original from August 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English, April 29, 2010).