John William King (October 10, 1916 – August 9, 1996) was an American
lawyer,
jurist, and
Democratic politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
from
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is a city in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the most populous city in New Hampshire. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 115,644.
Manchester is, along with Nashua, one of two seats of New Ha ...
. He received his undergraduate degree from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
and his law degree from
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...
in 1943. He practiced law in Manchester and served in the
New Hampshire House of Representatives. In 1962 he was elected governor of New Hampshire, becoming only the third Democratic governor of the Granite State in 88 years, and the first since
Fred Herbert Brown lost the 1924 election. After his three terms as the 71st
governor of New Hampshire
The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire.
The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...
, he served on the
New Hampshire Supreme Court
The New Hampshire Supreme Court is the supreme court of the U. S. state of New Hampshire and sole appellate court of the state. The Supreme Court is seated in the state capital, Concord. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associat ...
from 1979, and as its
Chief Justice from 1981 until 1986.
As Governor, King instituted the first
state lottery in the nation since 1894. He was a major hawk and a fierce supporter of President
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and the
1968 presidential election.
During his attacks on Senator
Eugene McCarthy, Johnson's challenger in the New Hampshire primary, King questioned McCarthy's national loyalty and also warned that a strong vote for ''"the appeaser,"'' would be ''"greeted with cheers in
Hanoi
Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
."''
King was a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
and after his death in 1996 he was buried in the New St. Joseph's Cemetery in
Bedford, New Hampshire
Bedford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 23,322, reflecting a growth of 10% from 2010. Bedford is a suburb of Manchester, New Hampshire's largest city.
History
In 1733, the P ...
.
References
External links
King at New Hampshire's Division of Historic ResourcesNational Governors Association profile*
1916 births
1996 deaths
Politicians from Manchester, New Hampshire
Columbia Law School alumni
New Hampshire lawyers
Democratic Party members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
Democratic Party governors of New Hampshire
Chief Justices of the New Hampshire Supreme Court
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American judges
Harvard College alumni
Catholics from New Hampshire
20th-century American politicians
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