Edgar Whitcomb
Encyclopedia
Edgar Doud Whitcomb was the 43rd Governor of Indiana
. His term as governor began a major rift in the Indiana Republican Party
as urban Republicans became more numerous then rural Republicans, leading to a shift in the priorities of the party leadership. Whitcomb found himself opposed by speaker of the house Otis R. Bowen
on a number of measures and for control of the party leadership. Despite his opposition, Whitcomb was able to increase tax revenue by 8% without raising tax rates through improved collection and auditing techniques, created a panel of business leaders to recommend governmental reforms aimed at increasing efficiency that allow the state to reduce its workforce by 10%, and fought for a number of budgetary saving measures primarily through reducing state employee wages and spending in non essential areas.
After leaving office, Whitcomb divorced from his wife of thirty-six years and took up sail boating. He sailed around the Mediterranean Sea
, across the Atlantic Ocean
in 1990, and geographically sailed around the world in 1995, although he was not able to return to his exact starting point, because his ship ran aground on a reef in the Gulf of Suez
. After two days of trying to free the ship, he made the decision to abandon it. Returning to Indiana, he moved to a secluded log cabin on the banks of the Ohio River
within the Hoosier National Forest
near Rome, Indiana
. In his last public interview during 2004, he told a reporter that he no longer reads or listens to the news and that he is “living in heaven.”
, the second child and first son of John Whitcomb and Louise Doud Whitcomb. An outgoing and athletic youth, he was a member of his high school basketball team. He entered Indiana University in 1939 to study law, but quit school to join the military at the outbreak of World War II
.
He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps
in 1940 and was deployed to the Pacific Theater. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1941 and made an aerial navigator. He served two tours of duty in the Philippines
and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. During the Battle of the Philippines
, Whitcomb's base was overrun; he was captured by the Japan
ese and was beaten and tortured by his captors, but was able to escape. Recaptured a few days later, he escaped a second time and was hunted for several more days but was able to evade his pursuers. He escaped by swimming all night through shark-infested waters to an island unoccupied by the Japanese army. He made contact with the Filipino resistance and fought with them for two years, losing his vision in one eye, severe hearing loss, and injuring his back in the progress. He was eventually able to secure passage to China
under an assumed name where he made contact with the United States Army and was repatriated in December 1943. He wrote a book about his experience entitled Escape from Corregidor, published in 1958. He was discharged from active duty in 1946, though he remained in the reserve military forces until 1977 holding the rank of colonel.
Following the war, he returned to and graduated from Indiana University School of Law Indianapolis. He met and married to Patricia Dolfus on May 10, 1953 and the couple had five children.
session were held biennially during his term; there were no sessions held after his resignation.
Whitcomb passed the bar exam in 1954 and permitted to begin law practice. He set up a successful law firm in North Vernon, Indiana
. He moved his practice in later years, having offices in both Seymour
and Indianapolis
. His law practice helped him build his political base for a run for statewide office.
In 1966, Whitcomb was elected to serve as Indiana Secretary of State, a position he used to springboard for his political career. He was appointed by the Governor of Indiana
to serve on Great Lakes Compact Commission, a commission with representatives from the Great Lake states
who oversaw joint projects for preserving and developing the Great Lakes
. He held both office concurrently until his resignation in December 1968.
minority leader Otis R. Bowen
and future Secretary of Agriculture
Earl Butz
. Backed by the party leaders of several large counties, Whitcomb overcame Bowen and Butz to secure the nomination. Bowen, after being nominated for Governor in 1972, advocated the nomination of candidates for governor and US Senator by primary elections. Whitcomb’s opponent in the general election was Democrat candidate Robert Rock, and the campaign focused largely on tax policy and national issues. Although Democrats had taken strong majorities in the state government in the past two elections, the 1968 election returned the Republicans to power, giving them strong majorities in the General Assembly, and a win in all the congressional and statewide elections, except one. Whitcomb was among the benefactors of the cycle and took office on January 13, 1969.
During his term the state adopted a new districting system that for the first time granted more seats in the Indiana General Assembly
to urban areas. The situation created by the new development caused a split in the party between the urban and rural Republicans. Urban Republicans and their representatives tended to favor increasing government provided services and spending, while the rural Republicans tended to favor reduced spending and more limited government. Whitcomb found himself in party with the rural Republicans, while Bowen, who had become speaker of the house, grew to become leader among the urban members. Whitcomb vetoed a number of spending bills passed by the assembly and began a fight for control of the party leadership. Whitcomb installed John Snyder as party chairman, but Snyder changed sides and began supporting Bowen. Whitcomb responded by stopping collection of the two percent fund, which required all state patronage employees to pay two percent of their income to the party in power. The rule had been enacted during the Great Depression as a means to dissuade parties from sweeping opponents out of patronage jobs upon taking office. Snyder soon resigned from his leadership position and Whitcomb installed a new chairman, Jim Neal, a newspaper editor from Noblesville, who remained friendly to his positions, but neutral in the 1972 convention. and he resumed collection of the fund. Bowen, meanwhile, had been able to install a number of people in key county leadership positions that effectively gave his wing of the party real control.
was unconstitutional, which made passed into law several bills that had been pocket vetoed by his predecessors. Whitcomb requested that General Assembly pass an act repealing all laws that were enacted because of the Supreme Court decision, some of which were nearly a century old. The assembly complied with the request and passed a blanket repeal.
Indiana’s income had been problematic in the two decades preceding Whitcomb’s term and had necessitated major tax increases to fund the growing budget. Whitcomb had committed to not increasing the tax burden on the state in his campaign, but the state was not permitted to take on debt and was in need to growing its reserve funds. To increase the budget surplus, Whitcomb embarked on a number of cost reduction measures that required no legislative support. He created by executive order a commission of sixty business leaders to examine the entire operation of the state government and recommend changes to improve operational efficiency. He used their findings to alter work flows that resulted in an annual savings of $12 million. They also made recommendations that would improve the efficiency of state taxes through better auditing techniques that once implemented raised state revenue by 8%. Additional savings were realized when because of the vastly improved government efficiency; less staff was needed to complete the work allowing the state to cut its workforce by 10%. Whitcomb also saved money by withholding non-mandatory pay raises for most state employees.
Whitcomb’s cost savings plans were strongly opposed by the state teachers’ union, Democrats, and a large part of the urban Republicans. The public, however, was pleased with Whitcomb’s actions and he left office with a high approval rating on January 8, 1973. After leaving office he returned to his law practice.
nomination to the United States Senate
, but was defeated in the primary by Indianapolis
Mayor Richard Lugar. He then returned to his private practice which he moved to Seymour. He served several years as the director of Mid American World Trade Association and took a job for a media company based in Indianapolis and spent traveling the United States setting up a network of FM radio stations.
Whitcomb retired from his law practice in 1985, at age 68. He and his wife divorced in 1986 after a thirty-six year marriage. Whitcomb took up sailing as a hobby and purchased a 30 feet (9.1 m) boat. He sailed solo around the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In 1995, while attempting to sail solo around the world, his ship hit a reef in the Gulf of Suez
and sank. He was rescued and returned to the United States. Whitcomb's second book, On Celestial Wings, was published in 1995. In 2000 he purchased a secluded cabin near Rome, Indiana
, on the Ohio River
within the Hoosier National Forest
. The home has no electricity, and he spends most of his time gardening, fishing, and chopping firewood. During his last public interview in 2004, he told a reporter that he never reads the newspaper and was totally uninvolved in anything, and that he was “living in heaven.”
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
. His term as governor began a major rift in the Indiana Republican Party
Indiana Republican Party
The Indiana Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the state of Indiana. The chairman of the Indiana Republican State Committee is Eric Holcomb, a former aide of Indiana's sitting Governor Mitch Daniels.-Platform:...
as urban Republicans became more numerous then rural Republicans, leading to a shift in the priorities of the party leadership. Whitcomb found himself opposed by speaker of the house Otis R. Bowen
Otis R. Bowen
Otis Ray Bowen, M.D. is a retired U.S. politician and physician. He served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1985 to 1989.-Early life:...
on a number of measures and for control of the party leadership. Despite his opposition, Whitcomb was able to increase tax revenue by 8% without raising tax rates through improved collection and auditing techniques, created a panel of business leaders to recommend governmental reforms aimed at increasing efficiency that allow the state to reduce its workforce by 10%, and fought for a number of budgetary saving measures primarily through reducing state employee wages and spending in non essential areas.
After leaving office, Whitcomb divorced from his wife of thirty-six years and took up sail boating. He sailed around the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, across the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in 1990, and geographically sailed around the world in 1995, although he was not able to return to his exact starting point, because his ship ran aground on a reef in the Gulf of Suez
Gulf of Suez
The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba to the east. The Gulf of Suez is formed within a relatively young, but now inactive rift basin, the Gulf of Suez Rift, dating back about 28 million years...
. After two days of trying to free the ship, he made the decision to abandon it. Returning to Indiana, he moved to a secluded log cabin on the banks of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
within the Hoosier National Forest
Hoosier National Forest
The Hoosier National Forest, in the hills of south central Indiana, is a property managed by the United States Forest Service. Composed of four separate sections, it has a total area of . It is headquartered in Bedford, with a regional office in Tell City...
near Rome, Indiana
Rome, Indiana
Rome is an unincorporated community along the Ohio River in southeastern Tobin Township, Perry County, Indiana, United States. It lies across the river from Stephensport, Kentucky and just off Indiana State Road 66 above the city of Tell City, the county seat of Perry County. Its elevation is...
. In his last public interview during 2004, he told a reporter that he no longer reads or listens to the news and that he is “living in heaven.”
Family and military career
Whitcomb was born on November 6, 1917 in Hayden, IndianaHayden, Indiana
Hayden is an unincorporated community in central Spencer Township, Jennings County, Indiana, United States. It lies along CR700W west of the town of Vernon, the county seat of Jennings County. Its elevation is 620 feet , and it is located at...
, the second child and first son of John Whitcomb and Louise Doud Whitcomb. An outgoing and athletic youth, he was a member of his high school basketball team. He entered Indiana University in 1939 to study law, but quit school to join the military at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
in 1940 and was deployed to the Pacific Theater. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1941 and made an aerial navigator. He served two tours of duty in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and was promoted to Second Lieutenant. During the Battle of the Philippines
Battle of the Philippines
Battle of the Philippines may refer to several wars, military campaigns, and major battles which have been fought in the Philippine Islands, including:...
, Whitcomb's base was overrun; he was captured by the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese and was beaten and tortured by his captors, but was able to escape. Recaptured a few days later, he escaped a second time and was hunted for several more days but was able to evade his pursuers. He escaped by swimming all night through shark-infested waters to an island unoccupied by the Japanese army. He made contact with the Filipino resistance and fought with them for two years, losing his vision in one eye, severe hearing loss, and injuring his back in the progress. He was eventually able to secure passage to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
under an assumed name where he made contact with the United States Army and was repatriated in December 1943. He wrote a book about his experience entitled Escape from Corregidor, published in 1958. He was discharged from active duty in 1946, though he remained in the reserve military forces until 1977 holding the rank of colonel.
Following the war, he returned to and graduated from Indiana University School of Law Indianapolis. He met and married to Patricia Dolfus on May 10, 1953 and the couple had five children.
Early political career
Whitcomb is a member of the Republican Party. He was first elected to public office in 1950, serving for three years in the Indiana State Senate before resigning to begin his law practice. Indiana General AssemblyIndiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
session were held biennially during his term; there were no sessions held after his resignation.
Whitcomb passed the bar exam in 1954 and permitted to begin law practice. He set up a successful law firm in North Vernon, Indiana
North Vernon, Indiana
North Vernon is a city in Jennings County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,728 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Vernon is located at ....
. He moved his practice in later years, having offices in both Seymour
Seymour, Indiana
Seymour was the site of the World's First Train Robbery, committed by the local Reno Gang, on October 6, 1866 just east of town. The gang was put into prison for the robbery, and later hanged at Hangman's Crossing outside of town....
and Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. His law practice helped him build his political base for a run for statewide office.
In 1966, Whitcomb was elected to serve as Indiana Secretary of State, a position he used to springboard for his political career. He was appointed by the Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
to serve on Great Lakes Compact Commission, a commission with representatives from the Great Lake states
Great Lakes region (North America)
The Great Lakes region of North America, occasionally known as the Third Coast or the Fresh Coast , includes the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as the Canadian province of Ontario...
who oversaw joint projects for preserving and developing the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
. He held both office concurrently until his resignation in December 1968.
Election and infighting
At the 1968 Republican state convention, Whitcomb competed to win the nomination for governor against Indiana House of RepresentativesIndiana House of Representatives
The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House members serve two-year terms without term limits...
minority leader Otis R. Bowen
Otis R. Bowen
Otis Ray Bowen, M.D. is a retired U.S. politician and physician. He served as the 44th Governor of Indiana from 1973 to 1981 and as Secretary of Health and Human Services from 1985 to 1989.-Early life:...
and future Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
Earl Butz
Earl Butz
Earl Lauer "Rusty" Butz was a United States government official who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.- Background :...
. Backed by the party leaders of several large counties, Whitcomb overcame Bowen and Butz to secure the nomination. Bowen, after being nominated for Governor in 1972, advocated the nomination of candidates for governor and US Senator by primary elections. Whitcomb’s opponent in the general election was Democrat candidate Robert Rock, and the campaign focused largely on tax policy and national issues. Although Democrats had taken strong majorities in the state government in the past two elections, the 1968 election returned the Republicans to power, giving them strong majorities in the General Assembly, and a win in all the congressional and statewide elections, except one. Whitcomb was among the benefactors of the cycle and took office on January 13, 1969.
During his term the state adopted a new districting system that for the first time granted more seats in the Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
to urban areas. The situation created by the new development caused a split in the party between the urban and rural Republicans. Urban Republicans and their representatives tended to favor increasing government provided services and spending, while the rural Republicans tended to favor reduced spending and more limited government. Whitcomb found himself in party with the rural Republicans, while Bowen, who had become speaker of the house, grew to become leader among the urban members. Whitcomb vetoed a number of spending bills passed by the assembly and began a fight for control of the party leadership. Whitcomb installed John Snyder as party chairman, but Snyder changed sides and began supporting Bowen. Whitcomb responded by stopping collection of the two percent fund, which required all state patronage employees to pay two percent of their income to the party in power. The rule had been enacted during the Great Depression as a means to dissuade parties from sweeping opponents out of patronage jobs upon taking office. Snyder soon resigned from his leadership position and Whitcomb installed a new chairman, Jim Neal, a newspaper editor from Noblesville, who remained friendly to his positions, but neutral in the 1972 convention. and he resumed collection of the fund. Bowen, meanwhile, had been able to install a number of people in key county leadership positions that effectively gave his wing of the party real control.
Government efficiency reforms
Despite the party infighting, Whitcomb was able to successfully advocate the passage of a number of bills to expand the state highway system, to repeal laws passed during his predecessors’ terms that distributed funds to the county governments, and a computerization of the state’s criminal records and its Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Significant constitutional development took place during his term. Also on the ballot during his election campaign was a number of constitutional amendments, among them a reorganization of the state court system, changing the legislatures sessions to occur annually rather than biennially, a change that would allow governors to begin serving consecutive terms again, and the placing of new cabinet position in the constitution. Whitcomb however, could not run for a second term because he had been elected under last constitution. Another significant event occurred during his first months in office when the Indiana Supreme Court ruled that the pocket vetoPocket veto
A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in United States federal lawmaking that allows the President to veto a bill indirectly.The U.S. Constitution limits the President's period for decision on whether to sign or veto any legislation to ten days while the United States Congress is in session...
was unconstitutional, which made passed into law several bills that had been pocket vetoed by his predecessors. Whitcomb requested that General Assembly pass an act repealing all laws that were enacted because of the Supreme Court decision, some of which were nearly a century old. The assembly complied with the request and passed a blanket repeal.
Indiana’s income had been problematic in the two decades preceding Whitcomb’s term and had necessitated major tax increases to fund the growing budget. Whitcomb had committed to not increasing the tax burden on the state in his campaign, but the state was not permitted to take on debt and was in need to growing its reserve funds. To increase the budget surplus, Whitcomb embarked on a number of cost reduction measures that required no legislative support. He created by executive order a commission of sixty business leaders to examine the entire operation of the state government and recommend changes to improve operational efficiency. He used their findings to alter work flows that resulted in an annual savings of $12 million. They also made recommendations that would improve the efficiency of state taxes through better auditing techniques that once implemented raised state revenue by 8%. Additional savings were realized when because of the vastly improved government efficiency; less staff was needed to complete the work allowing the state to cut its workforce by 10%. Whitcomb also saved money by withholding non-mandatory pay raises for most state employees.
Whitcomb’s cost savings plans were strongly opposed by the state teachers’ union, Democrats, and a large part of the urban Republicans. The public, however, was pleased with Whitcomb’s actions and he left office with a high approval rating on January 8, 1973. After leaving office he returned to his law practice.
Later years
In 1976, Whitcomb sought the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, but was defeated in the primary by Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
Mayor Richard Lugar. He then returned to his private practice which he moved to Seymour. He served several years as the director of Mid American World Trade Association and took a job for a media company based in Indianapolis and spent traveling the United States setting up a network of FM radio stations.
Whitcomb retired from his law practice in 1985, at age 68. He and his wife divorced in 1986 after a thirty-six year marriage. Whitcomb took up sailing as a hobby and purchased a 30 feet (9.1 m) boat. He sailed solo around the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In 1995, while attempting to sail solo around the world, his ship hit a reef in the Gulf of Suez
Gulf of Suez
The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba to the east. The Gulf of Suez is formed within a relatively young, but now inactive rift basin, the Gulf of Suez Rift, dating back about 28 million years...
and sank. He was rescued and returned to the United States. Whitcomb's second book, On Celestial Wings, was published in 1995. In 2000 he purchased a secluded cabin near Rome, Indiana
Rome, Indiana
Rome is an unincorporated community along the Ohio River in southeastern Tobin Township, Perry County, Indiana, United States. It lies across the river from Stephensport, Kentucky and just off Indiana State Road 66 above the city of Tell City, the county seat of Perry County. Its elevation is...
, on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
within the Hoosier National Forest
Hoosier National Forest
The Hoosier National Forest, in the hills of south central Indiana, is a property managed by the United States Forest Service. Composed of four separate sections, it has a total area of . It is headquartered in Bedford, with a regional office in Tell City...
. The home has no electricity, and he spends most of his time gardening, fishing, and chopping firewood. During his last public interview in 2004, he told a reporter that he never reads the newspaper and was totally uninvolved in anything, and that he was “living in heaven.”