Evan Mecham
| Evan Mecham | |
|---|---|
Official photograph of Arizona governor Evan Mecham
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| 17th Governor of Arizona | |
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In office January 6, 1987 – April 4, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Bruce Babbitt |
| Succeeded by | Rose Perica Mofford |
| Member of the Arizona Senate | |
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In office 1961–1963 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 12, 1924 Duchesne, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | February 21, 2008 (aged 83) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Resting place |
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona Phoenix, Arizona |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Lambert Mecham |
| Children | Suzanne Dennis Christine Eric Teresa Kyle Lance |
| Profession | Automotive dealer |
| Religion | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) |
| Awards |
Air Medal Purple Heart |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
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| Service/branch |
 Army Air Corps
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| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Second lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
Evan Mecham (/ˈmiːkəm/ MEE-kəm; May 12, 1924 – February 21, 2008) was the 17th Governor of Arizona. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham earned his living as an automotive dealership owner and occasional newspaper publisher. Periodic runs for political office earned him a reputation as a perennial candidate along with the nickname of "The Harold Stassen of Arizona" before he was elected governor, under the Republican banner. As governor, Mecham was plagued by controversy and became the first U.S. governor to simultaneously face removal from office through impeachment, a scheduled recall election, and a felony indictment. He was the first Arizona governor to be impeached.
Mecham served one term as a state senator before beginning a string of unsuccessful runs for public office. His victory during the 1986 election began with a surprise win of the Republican nomination, followed by a split of the Democratic party during the general election, resulted in a 3-way race. While governor, Mecham became known for statements and actions that were widely perceived as insensitive to minorities. Among these actions were the cancellation of the state's paid Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and creating an unpaid King holiday on a Sunday, attributing high divorce rates to working women, and his defense of the word "pickaninny" in describing African American children. In reaction to these events, a boycott of Arizona was organized. A rift between the governor and fellow Republicans in the Arizona Legislature developed after the Arizona Republic newspaper made accusations of questionable political appointments and cronyism against the governor, accusations that Mecham contended were false.
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