Mario Joseph Palumbo (April 13, 1933 – July 4, 2004) was a 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, a ...

from

Kanawha County Kanawha County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 180,745, making it West Virginia's most populous county. The county seat is Charlest ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

Early life and education

Palumbo was the son of the late Jack and Nancy Palumbo. He graduated cum laude from

Morris Harvey College The University of Charleston (UC) is a private non-profit university with its main campus in Charleston, West Virginia. The university also has a location in Beckley, West Virginia, known as UC-Beckley. History The school was founded in 1888 ...

in 1954, where he was student body president and recipient of the Liston Award for excellence in scholarship, character and athleticism, which was awarded to him during the NAIA Basketball Tournament. In 1957, he graduated from the

West Virginia University College of Law The West Virginia University College of Law is the professional school for the study of law at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. The law school was established in 1878 as the first professional school in the s ...

Career

In 1958, he joined the law firm of Woodroe, Kizer & Steed (now Kay, Casto & Chaney PPL). Palumbo served as a legal officer with the

West Virginia Air National Guard The West Virginia Air National Guard (WV ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of West Virginia, United States of America. It is, along with the West Virginia Army National Guard, an element of the West Virginia National Guard, and is also closel ...

and retired in 1981 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was elected to the

West Virginia Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the ...

in 1968 and served five consecutive terms, being re-elected in 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984. During his tenure in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Committee on Education from 1971 to 1972 and as chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary from 1973 to 1980. In 1990, Palumbo was elected attorney general to complete the unexpired term of his predecessor, Charlie Brown. In

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, he ran for governor of West Virginia, running third in the Democratic Primary, behind then-Governor

Gaston Caperton William Gaston Caperton III (born February 21, 1940) is an American politician who served as the List of governors of West Virginia, 31st Governor of West Virginia from 1989 to 1997. He was president of the College Board, which administers the na ...

and then-State Senator

Charlotte Pritt Charlotte Jean Pritt (born January 2, 1949) is an American educator, businesswoman, and politician in the U.S. state of West Virginia. From 1984 to 1988, she served in the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing Kanawha County. From 1988 t ...

Later life and death

Palumbo died on July 4, 2004, just one day after the death of his wife."Senate Resolution 32 – 2005" '' The West Virginia Senate'' (2005 Regular Session) "http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2005_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/sr32%20intr.htm"

Family

Mario was married to his wife, Louise, with whom he had two sons, Mario (Chris) and

Corey Palumbo Corey Lee Palumbo (born August 16, 1972) is an American attorney and politician who represented the 17th district of the West Virginia Senate from January 14, 2009 until December 1, 2020. He previously served as a member of the West Virginia Hou ...

, a former member of the

West Virginia State Senate The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature. There are seventeen senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms. Although the Democratic Party held a supermajority in the ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palumbo, Mario 1933 births 2004 deaths West Virginia Attorneys General United States Air Force officers West Virginia University College of Law alumni People from Kanawha County, West Virginia Charleston Golden Eagles men's basketball players Democratic Party West Virginia state senators Military personnel from West Virginia West Virginia National Guard personnel 20th-century American politicians American men's basketball players Morris Harvey College alumni