Robert L. Rock (September 8, 1927 – January 9, 2013) was an American politician who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1965 to 1969 and as the Mayor of Anderson, Indiana, from 1972 to 1980. He was the Democratic nominee for

Governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the State of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state governmen ...

in 1968, but lost to Republican

Edgar Whitcomb Edgar Doud Whitcomb (November 6, 1917 – February 4, 2016) was an American attorney, writer and politician, who served as the 43rd governor of Indiana. His term as governor began a major rift in the Indiana Republican Party as urban Republica ...

Early life

Born in

Alexandria, Indiana Alexandria is a city in Monroe Township, Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is about northeast of Indianapolis. According to the 2010 census, its population was 5,145, a decrease of 17.8% from 6,260 in 2000. History Alexandria was pl ...

, Rock grew up in

Anderson, Indiana Anderson, named after Chief William Anderson, is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison County. Anderson is ...

. He served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

as a hospital corpsman at Balboa Naval Hospital in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He graduated from

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

with a degree in business in 1951.

Political career

In 1954, at the age of 26, Rock was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

serving in the 1955, 1959, 1961, and 1963 sessions. Then he served as Lieutenant Governor of Indiana from 1965 to 1969. In 1968, Rock won the Democratic nomination for

, but lost the general election to Republican Secretary of State

. He later served as Mayor of Anderson, Indiana from 1972 to 1980, where he established the Anderson Housing Authority Commission and the City of Anderson Transportation System (CATS).

Personal life

In 1956, he married Mary Jo Ferguson with whom he had four children and later nine grandchildren.

Death

Rock died in

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

, on January 9, 2013, at the age of 85.Obituary for Robert L. Rock
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References

1927 births 2013 deaths Politicians from Anderson, Indiana Indiana University alumni Mayors of places in Indiana Democratic Party members of the Indiana House of Representatives Lieutenant Governors of Indiana People from Alexandria, Indiana Military personnel from Indiana {{Indiana-politician-stub