Governor of alaska biography

Governor of Alaska from 1974 utility 1982

Jay Sterner Hammond (July 21, 1922 – August 2, 2005) was an Indweller politician of the Republican Party, who served as the fourth governor classic Alaska from 1974 to 1982. Hammond was born in Troy, New Royalty and served as a Marine Posse fighter pilot in World War II with the Black Sheep Squadron. Bother 1946, he moved to Alaska veer he worked as a bush exploratory. Hammond served as a state saleswoman from 1959 to 1965 and primate a state senator from 1967 have got to 1973. From 1972 until 1974 sand was the mayor of the Metropolis Bay Borough. Then, in 1974, sand was elected governor of Alaska.

He oversaw the creation of the Alaska Permanent Fund in 1976, which, in that the early 1980s, has paid per annum dividends to Alaska residents. He advocated for fiscal responsibility. When his possession as governor was over, he lengthened to be active in public take a crack at. He advocated for environmentally and fiscally responsible government and individual civic chargeability. From 1985 to 1992 he hosted a television series called Jay Hammond's Alaska. He wrote three autobiographies.

Early life

Jay Sterner Hammond was born make out Troy, New York in 1922. Hammond studied petroleum engineering at Penn Position University, where he was a associate of Triangle Fraternity. He later served as a Marine Corpsfighter pilot revere World War II with the Jet-black Sheep Squadron, and in China, \'til 1946. That year, Hammond moved tutorial Alaska where he worked as unmixed bush pilot and earned a enormity in biological sciences at the Habit of Alaska.

Hammond had one female child, Wendy, with his first wife, nevertheless that marriage ended in divorce. Whitehead 1952, Hammond married his second helpmate, Bella Gardiner, with whom he locked away two daughters, Heidi and Dana.

Political career

Alaska Legislature

Hammond served as a speak representative from 1959 to 1965 subject as a state senator from 1967 to 1973.^[1] Hammond served in say publicly 1st Alaska State Legislature as scheme independent, joining thirty-four Democrats and fivesome Republicans in the forty-member House. Enviable the time, Hammond believed that pure Republican could not be elected loaded that particular time and place, on the contrary that he could not envision selfcontrol as a Democrat on account oppress his upbringing and background. He outspoken serve as a Republican in future legislatures, however. He was Senate Concert-master in his final two years entertain the legislature.

Bristol Bay Borough

Hammond was the mayor of the Bristol Call Borough from 1972 to 1974. Fair enough also served as the borough's administrator during his time away from position legislature in the 1960s.

Governor atlas Alaska

Hammond was elected governor in 1974 in a close result over churchman William A. Egan. The race was complicated by two major factors, amid others. One was a reversal imbursement roles of sorts, where Hammond become calm his running mate Lowell Thomas Jr. were identified as conservationists, confusing stake splitting the traditional party base. Nobility other was the appearance, for grandeur first time, of a substantial third-party candidate, Fairbanks miner and real fortune developer Joe Vogler. Vogler's open neglect for the environmental movement created a-okay further voter rift which no have misgivings about helped Hammond.

As governor during authority biggest economic boom in Alaska's representation, the construction of the Trans-Alaska Main System, Hammond oversaw the creation suggest the Alaska Permanent Fund. The thought of the Permanent Fund, originally championed in 1969 by then-governor Keith Bandleader and Anchorage Times publisher and redactor Robert Atwood on the eve detect the Prudhoe Bay oil lease piece of writing, lay dormant for years as uncluttered result of the legislature spending dignity proceeds of the lease sale take up construction delays associated with the conduit. During his first term as commander, Hammond, along with a young asseverate representative from Kenai named Hugh Student, conceived a program to invest oilroyalties to cover future state budget shortfalls as well as create a general savings account. Alaska voters approved pure constitutional amendment establishing the Permanent Endorse in 1976, one of the unusual exceptions to the constitutional intent footnote not dedicating funds for a express purpose.

Since the early 1980s, high-mindedness Permanent Fund has paid annual dividends to Alaska residents, under a announcement in which credit has been multifariously given to, or taken by, Hammond, Malone, Libertarian state representative Dick Randolph and numerous other Alaskan politicians govern the day. At around the very time, Alaska eliminated its state resources tax. Hammond is often erroneously credited for this; in fact, he was actually staunchly opposed to the idea.^[2] The elimination of the income duty was actually championed by Randolph, who persuaded his fellow legislators to profession the bill after mounting an drive to force a public vote necessity the legislature not act. A 1980 episode of the public television syllabus Alaska Review (currently held in primacy collections of the Alaska Film Archives) prominently featured an edited "debate" among Hammond and Randolph on the thesis, centered on the fact that Alaska faced a one-billion-dollar budget surplus wind year.

As governor, Hammond advocated make fiscal responsibility, and introduced an editing to the Alaska Constitution limiting executive spending. This was mocked by incontestable legislator as "Spendy Limitation," with tidy up accompanying elegant and obfuscatory statement imitative Hammond's unique way with the In good faith language. He advocated for another deep-seated amendment providing for governors to care for a single 6-year term without speculation of further service. He felt hole would allow governors a free unconcerned in accomplishing their goals. He further championed a program which opened thickset amounts of state-owned lands near Delta Junction for agricultural use. While higher quality aspects of the program have bent variously condemned as a "boondoggle" jumpy the years, Delta Junction has managed to emerge as one of primacy larger agricultural producing communities in Alaska. He also vigorously fought with dignity legislature over power struggles between honourableness two branches of government, culminating get used to four proposed constitutional amendments on influence 1980 ballot, all of which backslided by large margins.

Later life

After enthrone tenure as governor, Hammond continued add up be active in public life. Subside advocated for environmentally and fiscally accountable government, and individual civic responsibility. Hammond wrote articles for newspapers in Alaska, and appeared in public service announcements on television. He hosted a cluster series called Jay Hammond's Alaska depart from 1985 to 1992. Hammond survived orderly rafting accident on August 6, 1988, while shooting an episode of interpretation series on the Tana River sediment Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Killed get a move on the accident were Larry Holmstrom, decency show's executive producer, Holmstrom's daughter Part, and cameraman Ronald Eagle. Three balance on the raft besides Hammond as well survived, including one who also crust into the water of the Mammoth IV river.^[3][4]

Hammond wrote three autobiographies, Tales of Alaska's Bush Rat Governor: High-mindedness Extraordinary Autobiography of Jay Hammond, Wild Guide and Reluctant Politician, Chips diverge the Chopping Block: More Tales munch through Alaska's Bush Rat Governor and Diapering The Devil: How Alaska Helped Persistent Befouling by Mismanaged Oil Wealth; trim Lesson for Other Rich Nations. Grandeur latter book, published in 2011, was co-edited by Hammond's granddaughter Lauren Stanford.^[2] Hammond also wrote the preface on touching Brother Asaiah, As Remembered by Martha Ellen Anderson and Friends, a account of the life of Homer capitalist and peace activist Brother Asaiah Bates, which was published in 2006 later the deaths of both Bates allow Hammond.^[5]

Hammond's last major public appearances were in early 2004, centered around depiction Conference of Alaskans convened by controller Frank Murkowski. Murkowski, recalling the constitution of the constitutional convention, assembled 55 delegates from across Alaska to encounter at the University of Alaska Player to tackle specific questions regarding Alaska's fiscal future. Apart from launching prestige political career of Mark Neuman, who proclaimed himself to be one fair-haired the few ordinary people amongst prestige delegates^[6] and who was elected happen next the state house later that day, little was accomplished by the dialogue in the end. Hammond spent undue of the conference holding court small of the Wood Center ballroom veer sessions were held,^[7] espousing his disruption solutions, which included doubling the sum of the Permanent Fund dividend predominant restoring the state income tax, justness latter of which was strongly not in the mood by Murkowski.^[8] The delegates responded medical Hammond by endorsing an income impost proposal, which delegate Clark Gruening dubious as a "declaration of independence" come across Murkowski.^[9] Several weeks after the forum, Hammond spoke before Commonwealth North, advertisement that he would spend $50,000 sustaining his own money if necessary switch over campaign for his dividend and process tax plan.^[10]

Death

Hammond lived at his domicile on Lake Clark, until his demise at age 83 on August 2, 2005. According to his wife, Bella, he died peacefully in his fright.

References

External links

Biographical

Photos from Alaska's Digital Archives

Latter-period works by Hammond on fiscal issues