William C. Marland

William Casey Marland (born March 26, 1918 in Johnston City , Williamson County , Illinois , † November 26, 1965 in Barrington , Illinois) was an American politician and from 1953 to 1957 the 24th governor of the state of West Virginia .

Early years and political advancement

William Marland came to West Virginia with his parents when he was seven. As a boy he worked at times in coal mining. Then he studied at the University of Alabama . He then studied law at West Virginia University . During World War II, he served in the US Navy in the South Pacific. After the war, Marland initially worked as a lawyer in Charleston. In 1948, he became Assistant Attorney General of West Virginia. A year later he was Governor Okey L. Patteson Minister of Justice ( Attorney General ) his state. In 1952 he was elected as the Democratic Party candidate for the new governor of West Virginia.

West Virginia Governor

Marland's four-year term began on January 19, 1953. Immediately after taking office, the governor wanted to raise taxes on some industries, especially the coal industry. This met with strong resistance from the industries concerned and the state parliament. As a result, the legislature blocked many of Marland's proposals. Independently of this, the governor campaigned for racial equality. He supported the desegregation in schools and the civil rights movement . His proposals to improve labor laws and unemployment benefits also met with opposition in parliament, in which industry representatives had a majority. Marland soon became very unpopular in these circles. This unpopularity spread to the whole country and was one of the reasons why the Democratic Party lost a gubernatorial election for the first time since 1928 in the next gubernatorial election.

Another résumé

After his tenure ended, Marland practiced law in Charleston. In 1956, he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate . He temporarily moved to Chicago . Some time later, Marland had a drinking problem that he got back under control. In the meantime he made headlines when he worked as a taxi driver. In 1965 the former governor fell ill with cancer, from the consequences of which he died in November of the same year. He was married to Valerie Allen, with whom he had three children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Marland, William C.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Marland, William Casey
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 26, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH	Johnston City , Illinois
DATE OF DEATH	November 26, 1965
Place of death	Barrington , Illinois