Olene Walker
Olene Walker | |
---|---|
15th Governor of Utah | |
In office November 5, 2003 – January 3, 2005 | |
Lieutenant | Gayle McKeachnie |
Preceded by | Mike Leavitt |
Succeeded by | Jon Huntsman Jr. |
4th Lieutenant Governor of Utah | |
In office January 4, 1993 – November 5, 2003 | |
Governor | Mike Leavitt |
Preceded by | Val Oveson |
Succeeded by | Gayle McKeachnie |
Member of the Utah House of Representatives | |
In office 1981–1989 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Olene Smith November 15, 1930 Ogden, Utah, U.S. |
Died | November 28, 2015 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. | (aged 85)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Myron Walker |
Children | 7 |
Education | Brigham Young University (BA) Stanford University (MA) University of Utah (PhD) |
Olene Walker (née Smith; November 15, 1930 – November 28, 2015) was an American politician who served as the
Early life and education
Walker was born Olene Smith in Ogden, Utah, in 1930 to Thomas Ole Smith and Nina (née Hadley) Smith, the second of their five children. She graduated from Weber High School. Walker received her bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in 1953, her master's from Stanford University, and her doctorate in education administration from the University of Utah.[2][3]
Career
Walker's began her career in the
Governorship
Walker assumed the office of Governor of the State of Utah after previous governor Mike Leavitt was nominated by President George W. Bush to lead the Environmental Protection Agency in 2003. Walker served as governor until the end of the term on January 3, 2005.[8]
During her short term as governor, Walker focused on supporting education in Utah. She created the Read With a Child Early Literacy Initiative, visited classrooms often to read to children, and vetoed a proposal for vouchers for private schools with the reasoning that the proposal would take funding away from public schools.[3] She also signed legislation ending the use of firing squads for execution in Utah and worked to preserve Utah wilderness and to create affordable housing.[9]
In a move that caused a degree of controversy within the state, the
Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service
In 2012 Walker created the Olene S. Walker Institute of Politics & Public Service to "help foster in Weber State University students and the broader community the ideals of public service and political engagement that motivated her decades-long career in Utah politics."[11] The Walker Institute coordinates internships for Weber State University students, holds public forums and debates on public policy issues, and provides leadership and engaged-citizenship workshops for students and the community at large.[12]
Personal life
Walker was married to Myron Walker; they had seven children. Walker and her husband were Latter-day Saints (
Olene Walker died of natural causes on November 28, 2015, thirteen days after her 85th birthday.[14]
Recognition
The State of Utah operates the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund, which seeks to provide affordable housing throughout the state,[15] renovate rural housing, protect tenants from landlords who seek to exploit them, and in other ways provide livable housing options to low income residents of the state.
In 2003, The Salt Lake Tribune named her Utahn of the Year.[16]
In May 2010 the Utah County Democratic Party gave Walker its first distinguished service award.[17]
Walker was one of the first co-chairs of the Utah Debate Commission.
Olene Walker Elementary School opened in 2020.[18]
See also
- List of female governors in the United States
- List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
References
- ^ a b "Former Utah Gov. Olene Walker Has Died | Utah | Government Health Care". Scribd. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ Block, Maxine; Rothe, Anna Herthe; Candee, Marjorie Dent (2005). "Current Biography Yearbook". google.ca. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c "'Sweet,' 'tough' Olene Walker was a pioneer and an advocate for bettering lives in Utah". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^ Carricaburu, Lisa. "Olene S. Walker Biography". Weber State University. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ "Olene Smith Walker – Smart, classy, wonderful". The Spectrum & Daily News. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^ "Olene Walker | Utah State Capitol". utahstatecapitol.utah.gov. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^ a b c Chen, Daphne (November 28, 2015). "Olene Walker, "one of Utah's finest public servants," Utah's first and only female governor, dies at age 85". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 7, 2018.
- ^ "GOP selects Huntsman, Karras". Deseret News. May 9, 2004.
- ^ "Walker Institute | Weber State University". www.weber.edu. Retrieved November 29, 2015.
- ^ McNamara, Carol (June 13, 2017). "An enduring legacy of civil politics at Weber State University". Standard-Examiner. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ "Walker to serve an LDS mission". DeseretNews.com. May 12, 2005. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
- ^ Dan Harrie (November 28, 2015). "Olene Walker: A Utah original and pioneer is gone". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ "Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund - Mission Statement". www.housing.utah.gov. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
- ^ "Governor Olene Walker". Better Days Curriculum. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
- ^ Marc Haddock (May 17, 2010). "Utah County Democrats to honor former GOP Gov. Olene Walker". DeseretNews.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2010. Retrieved May 16, 2010.
- ^ "School named for Utah's first female governor celebrates grand opening". www.ksl.com.