Joseph P. Teasdale
| Joseph Teasdale | |
|---|---|
| 48th Governor of Missouri | |
|
In office January 10, 1977 – January 12, 1981 |
|
| Lieutenant | Bill Phelps |
| Preceded by | Kit Bond |
| Succeeded by | Kit Bond |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Patrick Teasdale March 29, 1936 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 2014 (aged 78) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
Benedictine College Rockhurst University Saint Louis University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Rank | Airman 3rd Class |
| Unit |
Reserves |
Reserves
Joseph Patrick Teasdale (March 29, 1936 – May 8, 2014) was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981.
Teasdale was born in Kansas City, Missouri to parents William and Adah (Downey) Teasdale. Teasdale's father was a prominent Kansas City attorney, His grandfather, William B. Teasdale, was also an attorney, prosecutor, and member of the Missouri State Senate and considered "One of the men who made Kansas City." Joseph Teasdale and his three sisters were raised as devout Catholics. Teasdale was a multi-sport athlete while attending Rockhurst High School and would later be inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Following graduation from high school he attended St. Benedict's College in Atchison, Kansas where he was a member of the schools 1954 NAIA National Champion basketball team. Teasdale later earned an undergraduate degree from Rockhurst University, and a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law.
From 1962 to 1966, Joe Teasdale served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, where among his other duties he led the organized crime division. It was also in the early 1960s that he enlisted in the United States Air Force Reserve, with his primary duty being at Whiteman Air Force Base where Airman 3rd Class Teasdale performed legal staff duties for the 442nd Military Airlift Wing. Teasdale was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County, Missouri in 1966, becoming the youngest person to ever hold that office. He ran his first statewide campaign in 1972, seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Though defeated in the primary, his innovative campaign style earned him name recognition around Missouri and a nickname, "Walkin' Joe". The name came about due to his habit of walking door-to-door all across the Show-Me state greeting potential supporters. It is thought that Teasdale appropriated the tactic from Florida Governor "Walkin' Lawton Chiles. Teasdale campaign officials estimated that he had walked over 1,000 miles in the months leading up to the primary. Even though he lost the primary to Ed Dowd it set the stage for Teasdale to make another, successful, run in 1976.
...
Wikipedia