John Montgomery Dalton (November 9, 1900 – July 7, 1972) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from the state of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. He was the 45th Governor of Missouri and the state's 34th Attorney General.

Personal history

Dalton was born in rural Vernon County, Missouri in 1900 to Frederick Alfred Dalton and Ida Jane Dunlap (née Poage) Dalton. He had three brothers and two sisters. One brother, Sidna P. Dalton, would serve as Chief Justice of the

Missouri Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820 and is located at 207 West High Street in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give ...

. He received his secondary education at Columbia High School in

Columbia, Missouri Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's fourth ...

, and then attended the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

where he earned a law degree in 1923. After passing the Missouri Bar, he returned to southern Missouri, establishing a law practice in Kennett, where he also served as city attorney from 1944-53.
John Dalton and his wife Geraldine were the parents of two children. Dalton died July 7, 1972 in

Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the princip ...

and is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Kennett.

Political history

John Dalton first entered statewide politics in 1952, running for and winning the first of two consecutive terms as Missouri Attorney General. In November 1960, Dalton won election to be Missouri's 45th Governor, his term running from January 9, 1961 to January 11, 1965. Governor Dalton signed legislation requiring all passenger vehicles in Missouri to have

seat belt A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduc ...

s and established a drivers license points system for traffic violations. Other actions included securing funding for a new headquarters for the Missouri Highway Patrol, creation of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and furthering desegregation of Missouri schools.

Honors

* The Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Missouri is named for Dalton. * A portion of U.S. Highway 412 in Dunklin County bears the name "Governor John M. Dalton Memorial Highway." * Gov. Dalton was a Master mason, serving as Grand Orator for the Grand Lodge of Missouri.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalton, John M. Democratic Party governors of Missouri Missouri Attorneys General 1900 births 1972 deaths Hickman High School alumni University of Missouri alumni American Presbyterians 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians