William Lewis Guy (September 30, 1919 – April 26, 2013) was an American politician who was the
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
of the
U.S. state of
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
from 1961 to 1973. Guy was North Dakota's longest-serving governor in state history, serving two consecutive two-year terms and two four-year terms in office.
Biography
Guy was born in
Devils Lake, North Dakota
Devils Lake is a city in Ramsey County, North Dakota, Ramsey County, North Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Ramsey County. The population was 7,192 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is named after the nearby body o ...
. After receiving his B.S. degree from
North Dakota Agricultural College
North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as th ...
(NDAC), where he was a member of
Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Blue Key National Honor Society. He served in the
U.S. Navy in
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 gunnery officer, achieving the rank of
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
. He received a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. from the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
, and then became the assistant county agent for
Cass County. With his wife, the former
Jean Mason, whom he married on January 30, 1943,
[ Guy began farming at ]Amenia, North Dakota
Amenia ( ) is a city in Cass County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 85 at the 2020 census. Amenia was founded in 1880.
The town is the site of several transmitter towers of Fargo broadcast television and radio stations.
Ameni ...
, in 1948 and taught agricultural economics at NDAC during the winter quarters.
He served in the North Dakota House of Representatives for one term from 1959 to 1961.
Years as Governor
His election as governor on the Democratic-Nonpartisan League ticket finally established the two-party system in North Dakota. As governor, Guy served two two-year terms and two four-year terms. He began modernizing state government by implementing the new Office of Management and Budget. During his terms, the state hospital's patient load was reduced from 2,600 to 600 and eight regional mental health districts were established.sugar beet
A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet (''Beta vulgaris''). Together wi ...
refineries and large scale coal-fired electrical generation to North Dakota. Governor Guy was selected by President Lyndon B. Johnson to observe the first presidential elections in South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
. He originated the concept of an interpretive North Dakota Heritage Center
The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, located on the North Dakota State Capitol grounds in Bismarck, is the state of North Dakota's official history museum. The original building, which was opened in 1981, is operated by the State H ...
and promoted its construction. The Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award was established by Governor Guy as North Dakota's highest recognition. Guy organized and served as the first chairman of the Midwest Governors' Conference in 1962. In 1966, he was elected chairman of the National Governors' Conference
The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in 1974.
See also
* North Dakota United States Senate election, 1974
* Politics of North Dakota
The politics of North Dakota were shaped historically by early settlement by people from the Northern Tier, who carried their politics west ultimately from New England, upstate New York, and the Upper Midwest. The area and state also received nu ...
References
External links
National Governors Association
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Guy, William L.
1919 births
2013 deaths
United States Navy personnel of World War II
American Presbyterians
Democratic Party governors of North Dakota
Military personnel from North Dakota
North Dakota State University alumni
People from Cass County, North Dakota
People from Devils Lake, North Dakota
United States Navy officers
University of Minnesota alumni
20th-century American politicians
Democratic Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives