John H. Trumbull
Encyclopedia
John Harper Trumbull was an American politician and the 70th Governor of Connecticut.

Early life

John H. Trumbull was born in Ashford, Connecticut
Ashford, Connecticut
President George Washington, returning from his tour of the country in the fall of 1789, was chagrined to be involuntarily abandoned in the village on a Sunday...

. Despite his name, he was not related to the previous governors of Connecticut of the same name, but was the son of Irish immigrants who moved to Ashford in the early 1870s to run a farm. The family later moved to Plainville, Connecticut
Plainville, Connecticut
Plainville is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,328 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.8 square miles , of which 9.8 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water...

. He never went to college. As a partner with his brother and one other man, he formed the Trumbull Electric Company, which produced electric appliances and later became part of General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...

. He also took part in other businesses. He joined the First Connecticut Infantry in 1891, finally reaching the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

 in the State Guard.

He married Maud Usher in 1903 and they had two children. Their daughter Florence married John Coolidge
John Coolidge
John Coolidge was an executive with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, the founder of the Plymouth Cheese Corporation and the first son of President Calvin Coolidge and Grace Anna Goodhue.-Biography:...

, son of President Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...

.

Political career

Trumbull was a Republican. Trumbull served in the Connecticut State Senate. He was elected Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor or lieutenant-governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction, but is often the deputy or lieutenant to or ranking under a governor — a "second-in-command"...

 in November 1924 and held that office from January 7 to January 8, 1925, as the Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...

 Hiram Bingham III
Hiram Bingham
Hiram Bingham may refer to:*Hiram Bingham I, missionary to the Kingdom of Hawai'i*Hiram Bingham II, his son, also a missionary to the Kingdom of Hawai'i*Hiram Bingham III, U.S. Senator from Connecticut and explorer best known for uncovering Machu Picchu...

 resigned after one day as a governor to become a U.S. Senator
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...

. Trumbull had learned to pilot his own airplanes and was dubbed "The Flying Governor" because he often flew into Robertson Field Airport in Plainville.

He was a conservative Republican and made sure to balance the State budget. He also sought to assist Connecticut's businesses. During his terms in office, the government started a building programme and worked at improving the roads of the State.

He was re-elected as governor two times, in 1926 and 1928, but chose not to run for reelection in 1930. He left the office on January 7 1931. However, he ran for the office again in 1932, but was defeated by his successor, Democrat incumbent Wilbur Cross
Wilbur Lucius Cross
Wilbur Lucius Cross, Ph. D. was an American educator and political figure who was the 71st Governor of Connecticut for eight years.-Biography:Born in 1862 in Mansfield, Connecticut, Cross graduated from Yale University Wilbur Lucius Cross, Ph. D. (April 10, 1862 – October 5, 1948) was an American...

.

After his terms as governor, he continued to oversee his business interests.

Sources

Office of the Governor: John Harper Trumbull at Connecticut State Library

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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