Walter W. Bacon
| Walter W. Bacon | |
|---|---|
| 60th Governor of Delaware | |
|
In office January 21, 1941 – January 18, 1949 |
|
| Lieutenant |
Isaac J. MacCollum Elbert N. Carvel |
| Preceded by | Richard C. McMullen |
| Succeeded by | Elbert N. Carvel |
| Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware | |
|
In office January 19, 1936 – January 21, 1941 |
|
| Preceded by | George Forrest |
| Succeeded by | Albert James |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 20, 1880 New Castle, Delaware |
| Died | March 18, 1962 (aged 82) Wilmington, Delaware |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Mabel H. McDaniel |
| Residence | Wilmington, Delaware |
| Alma mater | Beacom College |
| Profession | accountant |
Walter Wolfkiel Bacon (January 20, 1880 – March 18, 1962) was an American politician and accountant from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party who served three terms as Mayor of Wilmington and two terms as Governor of Delaware. He is the only mayor of a Delaware city to have been elected Governor of Delaware.
Bacon was born at New Castle, Delaware, the son of John G. and Margaret Foster Bacon. He began selling newspapers at age 8, graduated from New Castle High School and studied at Beacom College in Wilmington. He married Mabel H. McDaniel on November 28, 1906, and had no children. They lived at the Mayfair Apartments on North Harrison Street in Wilmington and were members of the Presbyterian Church.
Bacon was an accountant with U.S. Steel in Chester, Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and then with the Repauno Corporation. Upon Repauno's acquisition by the DuPont Company, he moved to the General Motors Division in Michigan, where he was Treasurer with the Buick Motor Company from 1918 until 1930. Retiring early, he returned to Wilmington and entered politics. Beginning as a Republican Party committeeman, Bacon was elected to three terms as Mayor of Wilmington, first in 1935 and again in 1937 and 1939.
Running for Governor of Delaware in 1940, he defeated State Democratic Party Chairman Josiah Marvel, Jr., the Democratic Party candidate, and became the only Republican Party candidate elected to statewide office that year. He was elected again in 1944 when he defeated Isaac J. MacCollum, the Democratic Party candidate.
Bacon's terms as governor were marked primarily by the events of World War II and its aftermath. Thirty-three thousand Delaware citizens served in the Armed Forces in that war, and nearly 800 died. Two were awarded the Medal of Honor: Sergeant William L. Nelson of Middletown, and Sergeant James P. Connor of Wilmington. Air bases at New Castle and Dover were taken over by the U.S. Army and became major points of re-entry for returning soldiers when the war was over. Fort du Pont at Delaware City and Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen became major military installations protecting the shipping routes into the Delaware River. U-boats constantly menaced the coast from the near Atlantic, and because gas and other consumer products were mostly transported by ship, the many sinkings caused them to become very scarce. Two things not lacking were vegetables and broiler chickens. They became known as "Victory gardens," producing vegetables grew all over Delaware, and the Sussex County chicken business thrived. In fact, federal price controls created such a black market in broilers that led the army to eventually seal off the Delmarva peninsula and seize the chickens to assure an adequate supply to the military.
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