John Joseph Hickey (August 22, 1911 – September 22, 1970) was an American judge and politician who served the 24th Governor of Wyoming and Senator as 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 ...

before sitting on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He was the first Governor of Wyoming to be born in the 20th century.

Life

John Joseph Hickey was born in Rawlins, Wyoming to John Joseph Hickey and Brigit O'Meara on August 22, 1911. He attended public schools in Rawlins where he graduated in 1929 and then graduated with a law degree from the

University of Wyoming College of Law The University of Wyoming College of Law is the law school of the University of Wyoming and the only law school located in Wyoming. It is situated in the Rocky Mountains in Laramie, Wyoming at 7,165 ft. between the Laramie Mountains and Sno ...

with in 1934. He practiced law in Rawlins from 1934 to 1942. Hickey served as city treasurer of Rawlins from 1935 to 1940 and was county attorney of Carbon County from 1939 to 1942. In 1942 he joined the army as a private and after serving for forty two months rose to the rank of captain. On December 25, 1945, he was honorably discharged and on January 15, 1946, he married Winifred Epsy. He served as county attorney of Carbon County from 1946 to 1949 and in 1949 President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

appointed Hickey as the United States district attorney for Wyoming. In 1954 he was elected as chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party and served until 1958.

Governor and Senator

He was the Governor of Wyoming from 1958 to 1960. At the

1960 Democratic National Convention The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles, California, on July 11–15, 1960. It nominated Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts for president and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas for vice president. In ...

Senate Majority Leader

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

asked Hickey to second his nomination for the presidency which he did. During the 1960 presidential election Hickey stated that the issue over Kennedy's Catholicism would not be important in Wyoming due to Hickey, who was also a Catholic, having won in 1958. As Governor, he appointed himself as United States Senator from Wyoming from 1961 to 1962, but lost election in 1962. On October 15, 1962, he suffered a heart attack, but recovered. John Joseph Hickey

Tenth Circuit

He was in private practice of law in Rawlins from 1962 to 1966. Hickey was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 12, 1966, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacated by Judge John Coleman Pickett. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 9, 1966, and received his commission the same day. In July 1970 he was hospitalized for a

stomach ulcer The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...

and in August he went to the Presbyterian Medical Center in Denver for lung cancer treatment. On September 22, 1970, he died in a Cheyenne hospital.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickey, John Joseph 1911 births 1970 deaths 20th-century American judges 20th-century American politicians 20th-century Roman Catholics United States Army personnel of World War II Catholics from Wyoming Democratic Party governors of Wyoming Democratic Party United States senators from Wyoming Judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit People from Rawlins, Wyoming United States Attorneys for the District of Wyoming United States Army officers United States court of appeals judges appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson University of Wyoming College of Law alumni Wyoming lawyers