John C. Schiffer (August 17, 1945 - June 19, 2014) was a Wyoming rancher and statesman. He represented the 22nd District in the Wyoming Senate for 21 years, and served in several Senate leadership positions, including President of the Senate in 2007-2008.

Background

Schiffer was born to Ken and Bay Schiffer, in

Chadron, Nebraska Chadron ( ) is a city and the county seat of Dawes County, in the state of Nebraska in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 5,851 at the 2010 census. This city is the location of Chadron State College. Chadron also is ...

where his father was based at

Fort Robinson Fort Robinson is a former U.S. Army fort and now a major feature of Fort Robinson State Park, a public recreation and historic preservation area located west of Crawford on U.S. Route 20 in the Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska. The for ...

during World War II. His family soon relocated to a ranch near

Kaycee, Wyoming Kaycee is a town in Johnson County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 247 at the 2020 census. It is home to a museum that preserves the cattle ranching heritage of the area, especially the history of the Johnson County War. Kaycee was ...

where Schiffer would be raised. He graduated from the

Hotchkiss School The Hotchkiss School is a coeducational University-preparatory school#North America, preparatory school in Lakeville, Connecticut, United States. Hotchkiss is a member of the Eight Schools Association and Ten Schools Admissions Organization. It i ...

in Lakeville, Connecticut before attending Colorado College and graduating with a degree in economics in 1967. He joined the U.S. Navy and served in Vietnam, where he became an lieutenant (junior grade). He returned to Kaycee to ranch in 1970 after completing his military service. In 1971, he married his wife Nancy, whom he had dated in college. Schiffer operated the Hat Ranch west of Kaycee in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he formed the 48 Ranch partnership on the

Powder River Powder River may refer to: Places * Powder River (Wyoming and Montana), in Wyoming and Montana in the United States * Powder River Country, the area around the above river * Powder River (Oregon), in Oregon in the United States * Powder River Ba ...

east of Kaycee, which he operated until his death. During the 1980s, Schiffer served on the Johnson County School Board and the board of the Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center. He was appointed to the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council by Governor Mike Sullivan and served as chairman for several years. He served on the Board of the First Northern Bank in Buffalo, Wyoming. He was a board member of the Wyoming chapter of

the Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

from 1996 through 2010.

Wyoming Senate

Schiffer was appointed to the Wyoming Senate by the Johnson and Sheridan County Commissioners in 1993 to replace State Senator Bob Trent, who relocated out of state. He served in several leadership positions, including Senate Vice President (2003-2004), Senate Majority Floor Leader (2005-2006), and President of the Senate (2007-2008). He also chaired numerous committees during his service in the Senate, including the Senate Judiciary Committee (1999-2002, 2013-2014), Senate Appropriations Committee (2003-2004), the Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse (2005-2006), the Wyoming State Legislature Management Council (vice-chair, 2007-2008), the Senate Rules and Procedure Committee (2007-2008), the Senate Revenue Committee (2009-2010), the Management Audit Committee (2011-2012), and the Senate Transportation, Highways, & Military Affairs Committee (2011-2012). He chaired the Council of State Government West Energy and Public Lands Committee for several years. As chairman of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Schiffer played a significant role in improving Wyoming's mental health and substance abuse services, an issue he began working on as a board member of the Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center. The Wyoming County Commissioners Association honored Schiffer with their annual Senate Legislator of the Year Award in 2014 prior to his death. The award was given for his work to provide stable appropriations for local governments. He and his wife Nancy were honored in October 2014 at the Child Advocacy Service of the Big Horns ( CASA) Light of Hope Breakfast for his work on student scholarships, child protection, compulsory school attendance, teacher recruitment, juvenile justice and public library endowments, and her career as a teacher, service as a volunteer, and work on the boards of the Wyoming Boys & Girls Club of the Big Horns and the Community Resource Council. In 2012, he was awarded the Council of State Governments West Bettye Fahrenkamp Award for Distinguished Legislative Leadership on Behalf of Western States.

Death

Schiffer was diagnosed with liver cancer in May 2014 and died at his home on June 19, 2014. His death garnered statewide attention, and he was eulogized by his son Ben, his long-time friend and business partner State Treasurer Mark Gordon, colleagues in the legislature, former Governor Dave Freudenthal, and Governor Matt Mead, who ordered flags flown at half-staff in Schiffer's honor.

References

External links

Wyoming Senate - John Schiffer
official government website
Project Vote Smart - Senator John C. Schiffer (WY)
profile *''Follow the Money'' - John Schiffer
20062004200019961994
Senate campaign contributions {{DEFAULTSORT:Schiffer, John School board members in Wyoming Presidents of the Wyoming Senate Republican Party Wyoming state senators People from Chadron, Nebraska People from Kaycee, Wyoming Colorado College alumni 1945 births 2014 deaths Deaths from cancer in Wyoming