William A. Egan
| William A. Egan | |
|---|---|
Bill Egan during his third term as governor
|
|
| 1st Governor of Alaska | |
|
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 |
|
In office December 7, 1970 – December 2, 1974 |
|
| Lieutenant | H. A. Boucher |
| Preceded by | Keith Miller |
| Succeeded by | Jay Hammond |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 8, 1914 Valdez, Territory of Alaska, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 1984 (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 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Signature |  |
William Allen "Bill" 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.
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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