Mark George Ricks (July 4, 1924 – September 29, 2016) was a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
politician from Idaho. He served as the
40th lieutenant governor of Idaho from June 2006 to January 2007.
Political career
Ricks' introduction to politics occurred in the late 1940s and early 1950s when he served as a Republican Precinct Committeeman. He was pressured to run for the
Idaho Senate
The Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho.
Composition of t ...
in 1976. He did not run, due to his time-consuming
calling in
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
as
stake president
A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine ha ...
. Because of his calling, he was put in charge of the recovery effort when the
Teton Dam
The Teton Dam was an earthen dam in the western United States, on the Teton River in eastern Idaho. It was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, one of eight federal agencies authorized to construct dams.Perrow, Charles. '' Normal Accid ...
collapsed. Ricks was nationally recognized for his leadership in organizing the successful recovery effort.
At the urging of the
Speaker of the Idaho House of Representatives
The Idaho House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 70 representatives elected to two-year terms. The state is divided into 35 districts, each of which elects two representatives to separate se ...
(
Allan Larsen) and many other prominent citizens, in 1978 Ricks ran for, and was elected to, the Idaho State Senate, serving his first term in 1979-1980. As a freshman Senator he was chosen to serve on the powerful Joint Finance Committee. This period also marks the beginning of the friendship and collaboration between Ricks and
Jim Risch
James Elroy Risch ( ; born May 3, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Idaho since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as lieutenant governor of Idaho under governors Dirk Kem ...
, then Senate Majority Leader.
Ricks served in the State Senate with many of Idaho's most influential leaders. As a former seatmate of
Larry Craig
Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican, he served 18 years in the United States Senate (1991–2009), preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, repres ...
, Ricks is known for commenting that Craig taught him to be a State Senator, and that "I had some influence on him, to prepare him to become a US Congressman."
During his second term in the State Senate Ricks served as the Chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee, and in his third term he was nominated and elected as Senate Majority Leader, with Jim Risch as the President Pro Tem of the Senate. During his tenure as Senate Majority Leader he also worked with
Mike Crapo
Michael Dean Crapo ( ; born May 20, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Idaho, a seat he has held since 1999. A member of the Republican Party, Crapo previously served as the U.S. repres ...
, the Assistant Majority Leader.
Ricks was an alternate at-large delegate for
Idaho Republican Party
The Idaho Republican Party (IDGOP) is the Idaho state affiliate of the United States Republican Party, headquartered in Boise. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling both of Idaho's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seat ...
for the
1988 Republican National Convention.
In 2010 Ricks supported
Brad Little
Bradley Jay Little (born February 15, 1954) is an American politician serving as the 33rd governor of Idaho since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Idaho from 2009 to 2019 and as an Idah ...
for
Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
The lieutenant governor of Idaho is a constitutional statewide elected office in the U.S. state of Idaho. According to the Idaho Constitution, the officeholder is elected to a four-year term.
The current lieutenant governor of Idaho is Republican ...
.
In 2014 Ricks supported
Evan Frasure
Evan S. Frasure (born March 20, 1951) is an American politician from Idaho. He served in the Idaho House of Representatives and Idaho Senate.
Frasure is from Pocatello, Idaho. He graduated from Idaho State University in 1977.
Frasure served in th ...
for
Secretary of State of Idaho
The secretary of state of Idaho is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is an elected position within the executive branch of the state government. The current secretary of state is Lawerence Denney.
Duties of the ...
.
40th Lieutenant Governor of Idaho
Ricks was appointed lieutenant governor by Governor Jim Risch to fill a vacancy caused by Risch's succession to the governorship in May 2006. Ricks presided over Idaho's 27 Special Session which dealt with the
Idaho Property Tax Relief Act of 2006.
He was succeeded by Risch, who was reelected lieutenant governor in November 2006. Ricks was not a candidate for public office that year. His appointment was seen by some as an effort by Risch to reach out to voters in the
Eastern Idaho
Eastern Idaho is the area of Idaho lying east of the Magic Valley region. It is generally understood to include: Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Power an ...
region, should Risch decide to run for governor at some point in time. However, Risch dismissed this as "pure speculation."
Personal life
Ricks was born and raised in
Rexburg, Idaho
Rexburg is a city in Madison County, Idaho, United States. The population was 39,409 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County and its largest city. Rexburg is the principal city of the Rexburg, ID Micropolitan Statist ...
. He graduated from
Madison High School Madison High School may refer to:
* Madison County High School (Alabama), Gurley, Alabama
* Madison High School (Idaho), Rexburg, Idaho
* Madison Consolidated High School, Madison, Indiana
* Madison High School (Kansas), Madison, Kansas
* Kentuc ...
, where he played
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
. He attended
Ricks College
Ricks may refer to:
People
* Andre Ricks (born 1996), American basketball player
* Bob Ricks (21st century), American police chief
* Christopher Ricks (born 1933), British literary critic and scholar
* Doug Ricks, American politician and member ...
, played on the basketball team, and graduated with a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
.
He married Evelyn Tonks in 1944 at the
Logan, Utah Temple.
Ricks served a two-year
mission
Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to:
Organised activities Religion
*Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity
*Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Northern California in the late 1940s.
Ricks was a
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, a stake president (during the 1976
Teton Dam
The Teton Dam was an earthen dam in the western United States, on the Teton River in eastern Idaho. It was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, one of eight federal agencies authorized to construct dams.Perrow, Charles. '' Normal Accid ...
failure and played a key role in local disaster relief efforts), and
regional representative of the Twelve. He also served as the
Nauvoo Visitor's Center Director for 25 months,
completed an 18-month mission in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
at the Missionary Department, and was
temple president Temple president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A temple president's primary responsibility is to supervise the affairs of an LDS temple in both an administrative and spiritual ...
of the
Idaho Falls Idaho Temple
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple (formerly the Idaho Falls Temple) is the tenth constructed and eighth operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in the city of Idaho Falls, Idaho, it was the church's first temple b ...
from 1999 to 2002.
He died on September 29, 2016 in
Rexburg, Idaho
Rexburg is a city in Madison County, Idaho, United States. The population was 39,409 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County and its largest city. Rexburg is the principal city of the Rexburg, ID Micropolitan Statist ...
at the age of 92.
His son,
Doug Ricks
Doug Ricks is an American businessman and politician serving as a Republican member of the Idaho Senate from the 34th district. Ricks previously served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2018 to 2020.
Early life and education
Ricks was ...
, serves in the
Idaho Legislature
The Idaho Legislature consists of the upper Idaho Senate and the lower Idaho House of Representatives. Idaho is divided into 35 legislative districts, which each elect one senator and two representatives. There are no term limits for either ...
Awards and community involvement
Awards
*Induction to the Eastern Idaho Agriculture Hall of Fame in 1989
*Named as one of ten nationally Outstanding Legislators by the National Republican Legislators Association in 1987
*Recipient of the
Rexburg
Rexburg is a city in Madison County, Idaho, United States. The population was 39,409 at the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County and its largest city. Rexburg is the principal city of the Rexburg, ID Micropolitan Statist ...
Chamber of Commerce Community Service Production and Example Award in 1976
*Recipient of the Madison School District #321 Outstanding Service Award in 1987
*Recipient of the
Ricks College
Ricks may refer to:
People
* Andre Ricks (born 1996), American basketball player
* Bob Ricks (21st century), American police chief
* Christopher Ricks (born 1933), British literary critic and scholar
* Doug Ricks, American politician and member ...
Distinguished Alumni Award in 1988
*Outstanding Republican Legislator by the
Idaho Republican Party
The Idaho Republican Party (IDGOP) is the Idaho state affiliate of the United States Republican Party, headquartered in Boise. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling both of Idaho's U.S. House seats, both U.S. Senate seat ...
in 1991
*
Silver Beaver Award
The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Upon nomination by their local Scout council and with the approval of the National Court of Honor, recipients of this award are registered adu ...
from the
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...
in 1998
*Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce in 2007
Community involvement
*Member of the Executive Board of the
Teton Peaks Council (merged into
Grand Teton Council
Scouting in Idaho has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
History
The Ashton Council was founded in Ashton, Idaho in 1917. It closed in 1918.
...
in 1994) of the Boy Scouts of America
*Member of the
National Conference of State Legislators
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), established in 1975, is a "nonpartisan public officials’ association composed of sitting state legislators" from the states, territories and commonwealths of the United States.
Background ...
(NCSL) Executive Committee 1985-1987 (also chaired the NCSL Nominating Committee)
*Member of the Council of State Government (CSG) Executive Committee 1989-1990
*Chairman of the CSG Western Legislative Conference 1988-1989
*Blue Ribbon Task Force, where he served as a member of the Revenue and Economic Development Committee in 2002
*Idaho Wheat Growers member
*National Federation of Independent Businesses member
*Rexburg Chamber of Commerce member
Legacy
Senator Jim Risch issued this statement when Ricks died in 2016: "Vicki and I were deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our good friend Mark Ricks. In the years we served together in the Idaho Senate, I came to know Mark as a man of great character and a loyal friend. When I became Governor I was required to appoint a Lieutenant Governor who would succeed me should I be unable to serve. I could think of no better person than Mark to fulfill that obligation. Mark was a gentleman and a statesman and his reputation for trustworthiness was legendary. He was more than a friend; he was a trusted confidant and advisor to me. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
Senator Mike Crapo said, "Idaho has lost a great leader, I had a great working relationship with Mark Ricks in the Idaho Senate and as lieutenant governor. His passion for serving Idahoans and attention to legislative detail is what I will remember most."
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricks, Mark
1924 births
2016 deaths
People from Rexburg, Idaho
Farmers from Idaho
Ranchers from Idaho
Republican Party Idaho state senators
Lieutenant Governors of Idaho
American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Latter Day Saints from Idaho