Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. (August 8, 1919February 1, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Arizona from 1965 until 1967. He remained active in politics following his term in office, serving on the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. The committee coordinates strategy to support Democratic Party candidates throughout the country for local, state, and national office, as well a ...

and as chairman of the Arizona Democratic State Committee.

Early life and career

Goddard was born in

Clayton, Missouri Clayton is a city in and the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. It borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the ...

, a suburb of St. Louis, the son of Florence Hilton (née Denham) and Samuel Pearson Goddard. He attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

and was a member of the school's glee club and varsity crew team. His athletic efforts resulted in his induction into the Rowing Hall of Fame in 1976. Goddard graduated in 1941 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in history. Soon after graduation, Goddard enlisted in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

as a private for

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 ...

service. He was commissioned by the Air Corps in 1942 and served as an operations and communications officer in England, India, North Africa, and the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. He was discharged from the Air Corps in 1946 as a

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

, remained active in the

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a MAJCOM, major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of ...

, and rose to the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. Goddard married Julia "Judy" Hatch of

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

, in 1944. The couple chose to settle in Arizona upon a doctor's recommendation that the dry climate would help relieve Judy's rheumatoid arthritis. The marriage resulted in three sons, Terry (

Mayor of Phoenix The following is a list of the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona. Living former mayors of Phoenix There are six living former mayors of Phoenix, the oldest being John B. Nelson (served 1994, born 1936). The most recent death of a former mayor of ...

and Arizona Attorney General), Tim and Bill. In 1946, Goddard purchased land in Tucson, near Swan Road and 22nd Street and built a home for his family. He developed the land into a subdivision that included extra large lots, homes that were set back from the street and restrictions that kept the area residential. The subdivision he called

Aldea Linda The Aldea Linda Residential Historic District is a historic district in Tucson, Arizona, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. The listing included 15 contributing buildings. The area was developed around 1947 ...

or Beautiful Little Village, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Goddard earned his law degree at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

in 1949 and began practicing in Tucson. Goddard became a widower in 1999 following the death of his first wife, former Arizona First Lady Judy Goddard. He died in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Goddard was survived by his three sons and his second wife, Myra Ann.

Political career

He became a community leader, helped organize the Tucson Civic Chorus and the Tucson Watercolor Guild, and took an active role in charitable fundraising. In 1959, he became the chairman of the Tucson Youth Study Group and was selected as a member of the White House Conference on Youth and Children. His community efforts earned him the title Tucson Man of the Year 1959. He first was elected chairman of the Arizona Democratic State Committee in 1960. In 1961–1962 he served as president of the 11 state Western Conference of United Funds. He became recognized as a rising power in Democratic politics in the state and in 1962 made an unsuccessful bid for the governorship. He ran for governor again in 1964, and this time won, beating future

U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...

Richard Kleindienst by 53–47%. Goddard's campaign symbol, the Arizona roadrunner, became familiar throughout the state, and it helped bolster his reputation as a man of energy who got things done. As Governor, Goddard helped to organise a compromise amongst regional governors supporting the Colorado River Basin Project including the Central Arizona Project. This secured a reliable water source for the state, providing a foundation for the subsequent rapid economic population and economic growth that has occurred. Governor Goddard signed a bill banning discrimination on grounds of race, gender, religion and ethnicity. He also established the state's first budget office and worked to improve relations with the Mexican state of

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

. He stood for re-election in 1966 but was defeated by Jack Williams, and lost to Williams again in 1968. Goddard also served as chair of the

Arizona Democratic Party The Arizona Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Arizona. Its headquarters are in Phoenix. Party organization The Arizona Democratic Party is organized into three parts: the state committee, the executive ...

for 10 years and on the

for 20 years.

References

External links

Samuel P. Goddard Papers Online
from

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

Libraries
Biography
from National Governors Association. {{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Samuel Pearson Jr. 1919 births 2006 deaths United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II American Unitarian Universalists Arizona Democratic Party chairs Democratic Party governors of Arizona Harvard College alumni People from St. Louis County, Missouri Politicians from Tucson, Arizona Military personnel from Missouri United States Air Force colonels University of Arizona alumni 20th-century American politicians United States Army Air Forces officers United States Air Force reservists Harvard Crimson rowers

Early life and career

Political career

References

Further reading

External links