Andrew Leo Bettwy
Encyclopedia
Andrew Leo Bettwy, a Republican, served as Arizona State Land Commissioner
from 1970 to 1978 under four Arizona governors.
appointed him State Land Commissioner
in 1970 to become the steward of Arizona's trust lands. Although the position was a political appointment, Bettwy served for the next nine years under four governors (Jack Williams, Raul Hector Castro
, Wesley Bolin
and Bruce Babbitt
). Bettwy was keenly aware of the value of every acre of the land that he managed, so he was never fooled by the attempts of developers and politicians who would propose trades for land of lesser value. In spite of constant political pressure to sell the trust lands, Bettwy stood firm by his view that the primary beneficiaries of the trust (public schools) were best served by holding on to the land (because it is an appreciating asset) and maximizing its income.
In 1978, Governor Babbitt fired Bettwy because they disagreed over the best way to implement land management policies. Because of Bettwy's concern for the public trust, Bettwy spoke frankly to newspaper reporters after he was fired which unleashed a vicious campaign of untruths that took aim at Bettwy's greatest asset, his reputation for integrity. Despite the power of Bettwy's attackers, the only newspaper that agreed to assist them was the Arizona Daily Star
which had not forgotten that Bettwy's father, Andrew Jackson Bettwy
, had flattened its former publisher William Mathews during his anti-Roosevelt New Deal
speech at the 1936 Arizona State Democratic Convention in Tucson, Arizona
. In response to the attacks that were published in the Star, Bettwy himself asked for an Arizona Senate
investigation which disproved all of the untruths and commended him for his exemplary management of Arizona's trust lands.
, for 34 years) and Andrew Jackson Bettwy
(Mayor of Nogales, Arizona
, and State Senator). Bettwy was born and raised on Pete Kitchen's Ranch in Nogales, attended college and law school
at the University of Arizona
, and settled in Phoenix, Arizona
. He had one brother, William Frederick Bettwy (1918-2005) of Pine Bluff, Arkansas
, the first commercial pilot to land at Washington Dulles Airport
.
Against his mother’s insistence that he stay in Nogales to work on the family ranch after his graduation from Nogales High School in 1938, Bettwy joined the U.S. Army
and then received a four-year military scholarship to the University of Arizona
. In his senior year (1943-44), he met his wife-to-be, Janice Kathryn Kennerly (1925-2000). His studies were interrupted by the war in Europe
where he served as an armored car commander in a reconnaissance squadron during the push from Calais
to Berchtesgaden
, earning two battle stars
and a Purple Heart
. 1LT Bettwy participated in the liberation of the German concentration camp at Landsberg, and during the final three days of the war in Europe in May 1945, was officially "traded" to the German 38th SS Division Nibelungen
as liaison officer to effect orderly surrenders. He was then dispatched to the Pacific Theater of Operations
, but Japan surrendered
in August 1945 when he was en route.
Bettwy then completed college and law school on the G.I. Bill and got his start with the Phoenix firm of Page & Company, which specialized in public lands. Bettwy did not particularly enjoy the practice of law, but he loved Arizona
and knew its history
and every inch of its territory, having traveled it many times over with his father. On vacations with his own family, Bettwy could not resist detours along old highways and backroads, often unmaintained and treacherous.
Bettwy and his wife Janice Kathryn Kennerly had three children, all of whom became lawyers: Andrew Wilson Bettwy (1944-2011), Sam Bettwy of San Diego, California
, and Maria Wolfinger Bettwy of Phoenix, Arizona
.
Arizona State Land Commissioner
The Arizona State Land Department is a department of the state government in the U.S. state of Arizona dedicated to the management of state-owned lands and property.-Mission statement:...
from 1970 to 1978 under four Arizona governors.
Land Commissioner Years
Because of Bettwy's widely-recognized expertise and knowledge of Arizona's public lands and because of his reputation for integrity and impartiality, Governor Jack Richard WilliamsJack Richard Williams
John Richard Williams , a dedicated political conservative, was a radio announcer, advertising writer, mayor of Phoenix, and the 13th governor of Arizona...
appointed him State Land Commissioner
Arizona State Land Commissioner
The Arizona State Land Department is a department of the state government in the U.S. state of Arizona dedicated to the management of state-owned lands and property.-Mission statement:...
in 1970 to become the steward of Arizona's trust lands. Although the position was a political appointment, Bettwy served for the next nine years under four governors (Jack Williams, Raul Hector Castro
Raúl Héctor Castro
Raul Hector Castro is a Mexican-born American politician. He has served in both elected and non-elected public offices, including United States Ambassador and the 14th Governor of Arizona. He was the first Mexican American to be elected governor of Arizona...
, Wesley Bolin
Wesley Bolin
Wesley Bolin was a Democratic Party politician who served as the 15th governor of the U.S. state of Arizona between 1977 and 1978. His five months in office mark the shortest term in office for any Arizona governor....
and Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Babbitt
Bruce Edward Babbitt , a Democrat, served as United States Secretary of the Interior and as the 16th governor of Arizona, from 1978 to 1987.-Biography:...
). Bettwy was keenly aware of the value of every acre of the land that he managed, so he was never fooled by the attempts of developers and politicians who would propose trades for land of lesser value. In spite of constant political pressure to sell the trust lands, Bettwy stood firm by his view that the primary beneficiaries of the trust (public schools) were best served by holding on to the land (because it is an appreciating asset) and maximizing its income.
In 1978, Governor Babbitt fired Bettwy because they disagreed over the best way to implement land management policies. Because of Bettwy's concern for the public trust, Bettwy spoke frankly to newspaper reporters after he was fired which unleashed a vicious campaign of untruths that took aim at Bettwy's greatest asset, his reputation for integrity. Despite the power of Bettwy's attackers, the only newspaper that agreed to assist them was the Arizona Daily Star
Arizona Daily Star
The Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
which had not forgotten that Bettwy's father, Andrew Jackson Bettwy
Andrew Jackson Bettwy
Andrew Jackson Bettwy, an Arizona Democrat, served as Mayor of Nogales, Arizona, from 1935 to 1937, was an Arizona delegate at the Democratic National Conventions of 1924 and 1928, was elected state senator from Santa Cruz Country in 1926 and 1928, and was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in...
, had flattened its former publisher William Mathews during his anti-Roosevelt New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
speech at the 1936 Arizona State Democratic Convention in Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. In response to the attacks that were published in the Star, Bettwy himself asked for an Arizona Senate
Arizona Senate
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members representing an equal amount of constituencies across the state, with each district having average populations of 219,859 . Members serve two-year terms with...
investigation which disproved all of the untruths and commended him for his exemplary management of Arizona's trust lands.
Family, Education and Military Service
Andrew Leo Bettwy was the son of Mary Chenoweth Bettwy (County Recorder of Santa Cruz County, ArizonaSanta Cruz County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.5% White*0.4% Black*0.7% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.0% Two or more races*22.9% Other races*82.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, for 34 years) and Andrew Jackson Bettwy
Andrew Jackson Bettwy
Andrew Jackson Bettwy, an Arizona Democrat, served as Mayor of Nogales, Arizona, from 1935 to 1937, was an Arizona delegate at the Democratic National Conventions of 1924 and 1928, was elected state senator from Santa Cruz Country in 1926 and 1928, and was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in...
(Mayor of Nogales, Arizona
Nogales, Arizona
Nogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
, and State Senator). Bettwy was born and raised on Pete Kitchen's Ranch in Nogales, attended college and law school
James E. Rogers College of Law
James E. Rogers College of Law is the law school at the University of Arizona located in Tucson, Arizona and was the first law school founded in the State of Arizona, opening its doors in 1915. Formerly known as University of Arizona College of Law, it was renamed in 1999 in honor of noted...
at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, and settled in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. He had one brother, William Frederick Bettwy (1918-2005) of Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
, the first commercial pilot to land at Washington Dulles Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport
Washington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
.
Against his mother’s insistence that he stay in Nogales to work on the family ranch after his graduation from Nogales High School in 1938, Bettwy joined the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and then received a four-year military scholarship to the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. In his senior year (1943-44), he met his wife-to-be, Janice Kathryn Kennerly (1925-2000). His studies were interrupted by the war in Europe
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
where he served as an armored car commander in a reconnaissance squadron during the push from Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
to Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. It is located in the south district of Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, near the border with Austria, some 30 km south of Salzburg and 180 km southeast of Munich...
, earning two battle stars
Service star
A service star, also referred to as a battle star, campaign star, or engagement star, is an attachment to a United States military decoration which denotes participation in military campaigns or multiple bestowals of the same award. Service stars are typically issued for campaign medals, service...
and a Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
. 1LT Bettwy participated in the liberation of the German concentration camp at Landsberg, and during the final three days of the war in Europe in May 1945, was officially "traded" to the German 38th SS Division Nibelungen
38th SS Division Nibelungen
The 38th SS Division Nibelungen. was formed in March 1945 from the staff and students of the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz.It was first given the title of the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz Division, but was renamed the SS-Division Junkerschule and finally the 38th SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen...
as liaison officer to effect orderly surrenders. He was then dispatched to the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
, but Japan surrendered
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
in August 1945 when he was en route.
Bettwy then completed college and law school on the G.I. Bill and got his start with the Phoenix firm of Page & Company, which specialized in public lands. Bettwy did not particularly enjoy the practice of law, but he loved Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and knew its history
History of Arizona
The last Native Americans arrived in Arizona between 16,000 BC and 10,000 BC, while the history of Arizona as recorded by Europeans began when Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan, explored the area in 1539. Coronado's expedition entered the area in 1540–1542 during its search for Cíbola...
and every inch of its territory, having traveled it many times over with his father. On vacations with his own family, Bettwy could not resist detours along old highways and backroads, often unmaintained and treacherous.
Bettwy and his wife Janice Kathryn Kennerly had three children, all of whom became lawyers: Andrew Wilson Bettwy (1944-2011), Sam Bettwy of San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and Maria Wolfinger Bettwy of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.