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Bill Egan

William A. Egan
William A. Egan.jpg
Bill Egan during his third term as governor
1st Governor of Alaska
In office
December 7, 1970 – December 2, 1974
Lieutenant H. A. Boucher
Preceded by Keith Miller
Succeeded by Jay Hammond
In office
January 3, 1959 – December 5, 1966
Lieutenant Hugh Wade
Preceded by Waino Edward Hendrickson
as Territorial Acting Governor of Alaska
Succeeded by Walter Hickel
Personal details
Born (1914-10-08)October 8, 1914
Valdez, Territory of Alaska, U.S.
Died May 6, 1984(1984-05-06) (aged 69)
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Desdia Neva McKittrick (1940-1984 - his death)
Children Elin Carol Egan,
Dennis William Egan
Profession Politician
Signature

William Allen Egan (October 8, 1914 – May 6, 1984) was an American Democratic politician. He served as the first Governor of the State of Alaska from January 3, 1959 to 1966, and again from 1970 to 1974. Born in Valdez, Alaska, Egan is one of only two governors in the state's history (along with current incumbent Bill Walker) to have been born in Alaska. He was the Democratic nominee in five gubernatorial elections (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, and 1974).

The child of a working-class mining family of six children in Valdez, Egan was raised by his mother Cora following his father William's death in an avalanche in 1920. By age 10, Egan was working in a local cannery, helping to support his struggling family. Thanks to the lack of driving laws in the Alaska Territory during the 1920s, Egan learned to drive at an early age, shuttling tourists around during summer months. By the age of 14, Egan was driving dump trucks for the Alaska Road Commission. Following his graduation as a valedictorian from Valdez High School in 1932, he began an interest in politics.

Egan's godfather, Anthony Dimond, a local Valdez lawyer, two-time mayor and member of the Alaska Senate, ran as a Democrat for the territory's nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives the same year. Despite the position's inability to vote due to the Tennessee Plan, a nonvoting delegate could address other House members and lobby for both bills and statehood. Dimond won the race, introducing the young Egan, who viewed Dimond as his mentor, to territorial and federal politics. Dimond would send copies of the Congressional Record back to Egan in Valdez for him to read.


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