Berkeley L. Bunker
Berkeley L. Bunker | |
|---|---|
Nevada State Assembly | |
| In office 1936–1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Berkeley Lloyd Bunker August 12, 1906 St. Thomas, Nevada |
| Died | January 21, 1999 (aged 92) Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Resting place | Eden Vale Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lucile Whitehead |
| Profession | Insurance |
Berkeley Lloyd Bunker (August 12, 1906 – January 21, 1999) was an American businessman and politician who served as both an appointed
Early life
Born in what was then St. Thomas,
Political career
State legislature
The Democrat Bunker was a member of the Nevada Assembly from 1936 to 1941, serving as speaker in 1939.
U.S. Senate
When
The young new senator, whom Carville likely chose as a compromise candidate because (as an observer later said) "Nobody was mad at Berkeley Bunker", later claimed to be the "most surprised man in the state" as he had not asked for the job. Bunker was the first southern Nevadan, and first Nevadan Mormon, to serve in federal office.[1]
As a senator he made headlines by accusing Basic Magnesium of having negotiated a contract with the government to get exorbitant profits.[2]
Bunker lost to former governor
U.S. House
He was elected in 1944 as a
In 1946 he introduced a bill to incorporate Boulder City, Nevada, removing it from federal control, but the bill never made it out of committee.[3]
Run for U.S. Senate
When Scrugham died in 1945 Carville resigned so that
Later career
Bunker became a hotel manager and then joined his brother in founding the Bunker Brothers mortuary. Bunker ran for lieutenant governor in 1962 but lost to Republican Paul Laxalt, in part because former Carville supporters still resented his defeat of their candidate in 1946.[1]
Death
His wife Lucile Bunker died in 1988. He soon married Della Lee in 1989. Bunker died in 1999[1] and was interred in Bunker's Eden Vale Cemetery. He was the last living senator who was serving at the time of the United States' declaration of war on Japan, which precipitated the United States' participation in World War II, and was the last living person who had served as a senator during the time FDR was president. Berkeley L. Bunker Elementary School in Las Vegas is named after him.[4]
Personal life
Bunker was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a mission for the church in the southern United States after high school and before his marriage. After his time in the Senate, Bunker served as bishop of a LDS ward in Las Vegas, and was involved with the building of the Las Vegas Nevada Temple.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Evans, K.J. (February 7, 1999). "Berkeley Bunker". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ "Business: Anaconda Magnesium". Time. October 12, 1942. Archived from the original on October 14, 2010.
- ^ KNPB Online: The Nevada Experience: Boulder City
- ^ Berkeley L Archived January 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- United States Congress. "Berkeley L. Bunker (id: B001061)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
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