Russell W. Peterson
Russell Peterson | |
---|---|
Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality | |
In office 1973–1976 | |
President | Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
Preceded by | Russell E. Train |
Succeeded by | John A. Busterud |
66th Governor of Delaware | |
In office January 21, 1969 – January 16, 1973 | |
Lieutenant | Eugene Bookhammer |
Preceded by | Charles Terry |
Succeeded by | Sherman W. Tribbitt |
Personal details | |
Born | Russell Wilbur Peterson October 3, 1916 Centreville, Delaware, U.S. |
Political party | Republican (before 1996) Democratic (1996–2011) |
Spouses | Lillian Turner
(m. 1937; died 1994)June Jenkins (m. 1995) |
Education | ) |
Russell Wilbur Peterson (October 3, 1916 – February 21, 2011) was an American scientist and politician from
Early life and family
Peterson was born in
At Wisconsin, Peterson was elected to the
Professional and political career
After graduate school, Peterson was recruited by the
All the while, Peterson had become a well-known civic activist from suburban New Castle County. He had been involved in the "New Day for Delaware" attempt at governmental reform in the Boggs administration and had organized an effort at prison reform known as the "Three-S Citizen's Campaign," salvage people, save dollars, and shrink the crime rate. His leadership skills inspired Henry B. du Pont to appoint him to the executive committee of the Greater Wilmington Development Council. He was put in charge of the Neighborhood Improvement Program, tasked with solving poverty in the black community. By 1968 Delaware had experienced rioting following the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., and National Guard troops were still on the streets of Wilmington on the orders of the conservative Democratic Governor, Charles L. Terry, Jr. Peterson seemed to have a fresh, progressive approach for addressing these and other issues and was drafted by Republican state leaders to run for governor.
Governor of Delaware
Accordingly, Peterson was elected Governor of Delaware in 1968, narrowly defeating the incumbent Governor Charles L. Terry, Jr. His first act was to remove the National Guard from Wilmington.[2] His administration was one that enacted several substantial changes, with perhaps the biggest change being the successful implementation of the old "New Day for Delaware" plan that transformed the organization of state government. Delaware's executive departments had been run by commissions, appointed by the governor, but with considerable policy independence, and overlapping terms. As a result, the governor had control over his departments only through persuasion and the budget. The newly enacted law provided for an eleven-person cabinet organization, with department leadership provided by persons serving at the pleasure of the governor. In all, Peterson eliminated 100 commissions and boards. Neither Peterson nor his successor, Sherman W. Tribbitt, were fully able to take advantage of this change, but their successors all made it one of the foundations of the present Delaware state government.
Peterson was also a dedicated environmentalist and the guiding force behind the Coastal Zone Act of 1971.
These were a breathtaking number of changes for normally conservative Delaware – Peterson appointed the first person of color, Arva Jackson, to the
Meanwhile, in spite of warnings, Peterson seemed to be unaware of growing financial problems for the state. Finally, in June 1971, Peterson admitted he had made revenue miscalculations resulting in a $5 million deficit. The mistake opened the door to opponents of the other changes to unleash a barrage of criticism. As a result, when he sought a second term the next year, he won the Republican primary by 8% of the vote over former Lieutenant Governor David P. Buckson. In the general election, he was defeated by the Democratic former Lieutenant Governor Sherman W. Tribbitt after announcing an unexpected tax increase in the middle of the campaign.[2] He left office with Delaware enjoying a budget surplus.
Delaware General Assembly (sessions while Governor) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Assembly | Senate Majority | President pro tempore |
House Majority | Speaker | ||
1969–1970 | 125th | Republican | Reynolds du Pont | Republican | George C. Hering, III | ||
1971–1972 | 126th | Republican | Reynolds du Pont | Republican | William L. Frederick |
Later career
After leaving office, Nixon, impressed by Peterson's answers to Stans' questions, appointed Peterson as
Every time something wonderful has happened when I was president and since then in the field of environmental quality in this country or on a global basis, Russ Peterson has been intimately involved in it.
—Jimmy Carter, at the University of Delaware, 1993[8]
A keen
Ever the scientist and always the humanist, you have woven these twin passions into a lifetime of dedication to protecting this earth. Whatever the job, whatever the administration, you have put the environment ahead of politics, supporting pro-environmentalists wherever you have found them.
Peterson served as a visiting professor at
In 1971 the National Wildlife Federation gave Peterson the Conservationist of the Year award.[9] In 1974, Peterson received the Charles Lathrop Parsons Award for public service from the American Chemical Society.[10] In 1982, Russell W. Peterson was honored to be selected as the Swedish-American of the year by the Swedish Council of America (previously the Vasa Order of America).[11] In 1984 he was given the Robert Marshall Award by the Wilderness Society.[12] In 1995, the League of Conservation Voters awarded him its lifetime achievement award.[8] In 2007 he was inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame.[8]
The Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge, just outside Wilmington, has been named in his honor.[13]
In April 2008, a small ship was rechristened "Russell W. Peterson." The ship, owned by Aqua Survey Inc. was used for the study of migratory bird routes. However, on May 12, 2008, the "Russell W. Peterson" was destroyed in a storm off the Delaware coast, killing one of its two crew members.[14]
Peterson suffered a stroke on the morning of Monday, February 21, 2011, and died at 8:10pm that evening at home. He was survived by his wife, four children, seventeen grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.[2]
Almanac
Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. The governor takes office the third Tuesday of January and has a four-year term.
Public Offices | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Office | Type | Location | Began office | Ended office | notes' | |
Governor | Executive | Dover | January 21, 1969 | January 16, 1973 |
Election results | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Office | Election | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | ||
1968 | Governor | General | Russell W. Peterson | Republican | 104,474 | 51% | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | Democratic | 102,360 | 49% | ||
1972 | Governor | Primary | Russell W. Peterson | Republican | 23,929 | 54% | David P. Buckson | Republican | 20,138 | 46% | ||
1972 | Governor | General | Russell W. Peterson | Republican | 109,583 | 49% | Sherman W. Tribbitt | Democratic | 117,274 | 51% |
See also
References
- ^ "Russell Wilber Peterson The Governor of Delaware". Delaware's Governors, 1949 to the present. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Martin, Douglas (February 23, 2011). "Russell W. Peterson, Scientist Turned Environmentalist, Dies". The New York Times. p. A25.
- ^ "Portage native Russell Peterson dies at 94". 24 February 2011.
- ^ a b c d Russell W Peterson papers, 1917-2004. 2006.
{{cite book}}
:|website=
ignored (help) - ^ Badger Yearbook. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin. 1937. p. 50.
- ^ "Coastal Zone Act Program". Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- ^ a b Jerde, Lyn (February 24, 2011). "Portage native Russell Peterson dies at 94". Wisc News / Daily Register. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Russell W Peterson 1916 – 2011 Inducted 2007". The Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION NATIONAL CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS PREVIOUS WINNERS" (PDF). NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "Charles Lathrop Parsons Award". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2016-01-14.
- ^ "Swedish-American of the Year 1980-1999". Swedish Council of America. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "Awards". The Wilderness Society. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ Schweriner, Jeff (2019-08-19). "Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge" (PDF). duponteec.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-26.
- ^ Ron MacArthur, "Salvage crew pries research vessel from Bethany Beach[permanent dead link]" Cape Gazette May 20, 2008.
Other sources
- Boyer, William W. (2000). Governing Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 1-892142-23-6.
- Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6.
- Martin, Roger A. (1984). History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press.
- Munroe, John A. (1993). History of Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 0-87413-493-5.
- Peterson, Russell W. (1999). Rebel with a conscience. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. p. 416 p. ISBN 0-87413-681-4.
- Peterson, Russell W. (2003). Patriots, stand up!. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. p. 76 p. ISBN 1-892142-20-1.