William Scranton

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William Warren Scranton (1961)

William Warren Scranton (born July 19, 1917 in Madison , Connecticut , † July 28, 2013 in Santa Barbara , California ) was an American politician . He was the 40th governor of the state of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1967 .

Early years and political advancement

William Scranton was the grandson of Congressman Joseph A. Scranton (1838-1908). After a few preschools he attended the Hotchkiss School and then Yale University until 1939 . His subsequent law degree was interrupted by the Second World War, in which he participated as a pilot of transport aircraft. But he was not involved in combat operations. After the war he remained in the US Air Force Reserve for 20 years. In 1946 he was able to successfully complete his interrupted law studies, whereupon he was admitted to the bar. In the city of Scranton he then began to work in his new profession.

In addition to his practice as a lawyer, Scranton had also been a successful businessman since 1946. He worked for various companies in northeastern Pennsylvania in leading positions. Since the 1950s, he took part in the political events of his time as a member of the Republican Party . In 1959 he was given a senior position in the US State Department . Between 1961 and 1963 Scranton was a member of the US House of Representatives . In 1962 he was elected the new governor of Pennsylvania.

Governor of Pennsylvania

Scranton took up his new office on January 15, 1963. During his tenure, the education system was reformed and modernized. Scranton also tried to make Pennsylvania attractive to domestic and foreign investors. He also tried to open up the American and world markets for products from Pennsylvania. In 1964, he ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for president. William Scranton was also a member of several governors' associations. Due to a constitutional clause, he was not allowed to run directly for re-election in 1966. Therefore, he had to resign on January 17, 1967 from his office.

Further life

Even after his governorship, Scranton remained politically active. President Richard Nixon offered him the post of Secretary of State in 1969, but Scranton declined. Instead, he became the American special envoy for the Middle East. His Middle East policy proposals were rejected by the American Jewish community, and President Nixon distanced himself from Scranton's proposals. In 1970 Scranton became chairman of a commission to investigate civil unrest and violence at universities in the country. During this time he was also active in various other government commissions.

After Nixon's resignation in connection with the Watergate affair in 1974, Scranton was a member of a committee that prepared the transition of government to Gerald Ford . He was then from 1974 to 1976 a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Railway Association . President Ford then named Scranton as US ambassador to the United Nations . He held this office until January 1977. After that, Scranton turned to his private affairs. William Scranton has four children with his wife, Mary Lowe Chamberlain.

The American Philosophical Society awarded him their Benjamin Franklin Medal for Distinguished Public Service in 1997 . At the same time he became a member of this society.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Former Governor William W. Scranton dies in California. In: The Times-Tribune, July 29, 2013 (accessed December 3, 2014).
  2. ^ Member History: William Warren Scranton. American Philosophical Society, accessed February 7, 2019 .