Howard Edwin Armstrong (April 19, 1903 – October 7, 1983) was a public official in Vermont who served as Secretary of State for sixteen years.

Biography

Armstrong was born in

Bennington, Vermont Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous t ...

on April 19, 1903, the son of Marcus P. Armstrong (1864-1928) and Alice J. Cordes (1868-1953). He graduated from Bennington High School in 1922, and attended the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...

from 1922 to 1923. He decided on a legal career, and studied law with Harry Chase of Bennington, and in the

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The ...

office of William W. Stickney and John G. Sargent. Armstrong was admitted to the bar in 1926. A Republican, Armstrong served as second assistant clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives in 1925, and was the House Clerk from 1927 to 1933. He was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) to Governor

Charles Manley Smith Charles Manley Smith (August 3, 1868 – August 12, 1937) was an American politician from Vermont. He served as the 59th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1933 to 1935 and 63rd governor of Vermont from 1935 to 1937. Life and career Smith wa ...

in 1935. Armstrong served as the state Commissioner of Industries from 1936 to 1939, and Commissioner of Industrial Relations from 1939 to 1949. In 1948, Armstrong was the successful Republican nominee for Secretary of State. He was reelected seven times, and served from January 1949 to January 1965. Armstrong was defeated by Harry H. Cooley during the Democratic landslide of 1964, which was the first time 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 ...

had ever won the Secretary of State's office. In 1968, Republican

Richard C. Thomas Richard C. Thomas (May 3, 1937—November 2, 1991) was a politician and government official who served four terms as Secretary of State of Vermont. Early life Richard Clark Thomas was born in Washburn, Maine on May 3, 1937. He was raised in Rut ...

won the Secretary of State's position. He employed former Secretaries Armstrong and Helen E. Burbank on a consulting basis at the start of his eight-year tenure.

Retirement

In retirement, Armstrong resided in Montpelier. He died at his home on October 7, 1983; he was being treated for cancer, and his death was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was buried at

Plymouth Notch Cemetery The Plymouth Notch Cemetery in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, is noted as the burial place for 30th President of the United States Calvin Coolidge, as well as his wife Grace, children (Calvin Coolidge, Jr. 1908–1924, John Coolidge 1906–2000), an ...

Plymouth Notch, Vermont Plymouth Notch is an unincorporated community in the town of Plymouth, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. All or most of the village is included in the Calvin Coolidge Homestead District, a National Historic Landmark. History John Calvin ...

Family

In 1929, Armstrong married Margaret Ellen Brown (1907-1996). They were the parents of a son, Cordes V. Armstrong, (1935-2000).

References

Sources

Newspapers

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Books

Internet

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Armstrong, Howard E. 1903 births 1983 deaths Politicians from Bennington, Vermont People from Montpelier, Vermont Vermont lawyers Vermont Republicans Secretaries of State of Vermont Burials in Vermont 20th-century American lawyers Suicides by firearm in Vermont