Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. (August 8, 1919February 1, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Arizona from 1965 until 1967. He remained active in politics following his term in office, serving on the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

and as chairman of the Arizona Democratic State Committee.

Early life and career

Goddard was born in

Clayton, Missouri Clayton is a city in and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri, and borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, a citizen who donated ...

, a suburb of

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, the son of Florence Hilton (née Denham) and Samuel Pearson Goddard. He attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

and was a member of the school's

glee club A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs by trios or quartets. In the late 19th century it was very popular in ...

and varsity crew team. His athletic efforts resulted in his induction into the Rowing Hall of Fame in 1976. Goddard graduated in 1941 with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in history. Soon after graduation, Goddard enlisted in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

as a private for

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

service. He was commissioned by the Air Corps in 1942 and served as an operations and communications officer in England, India, North Africa, and the

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. He was discharged from the Air Corps in 1946 as a

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

, remained active in the

Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...

, and rose to the rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. Goddard married Julia "Judy" Hatch of

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...

, in 1944. The couple chose to settle in Arizona upon a doctor's recommendation that the dry climate would help relieve Judy's rheumatoid arthritis. The marriage resulted in three sons,

Terry Terry is a unisex diminutive nickname for the given names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence (given name), Terence, Terrance (masculine). People Male * Terry A. Canales, American politician * Terry A. Doughty (born 1959), American district ...

(

Mayor of Phoenix In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

and

Arizona Attorney General The Arizona attorney general is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorn ...

), Tim and Bill. In 1946, Goddard purchased land in

Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

, near Swan Road and 22nd Street and built a home for his family. He developed the land into a subdivision that included extra large lots, homes that were set back from the street and restrictions that kept the area residential. The subdivision he called Aldea Linda or Beautiful Little Village, is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Goddard earned his law degree at the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it ...

in 1949 and began practicing in

. Goddard became a widower in 1999 following the death of his first wife, former Arizona First Lady Judy Goddard. He died in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Goddard was survived by his three sons and his second wife, Myra Ann.

Political career

He became a community leader, helped organize the Tucson Civic Chorus and the Tucson Watercolor Guild, and took an active role in charitable fundraising. In 1959, he became the chairman of the Tucson Youth Study Group and was selected as a member of the White House Conference on Youth and Children. His community efforts earned him the title Tucson Man of the Year 1959. He first was elected chairman of the Arizona Democratic State Committee in 1960. In 1961–1962 he served as president of the 11 state Western Conference of United Funds. He became recognized as a rising power in Democratic politics in the state and in 1962 made an unsuccessful bid for the governorship. He ran for governor again in 1964, and this time won, beating future

U.S. Attorney General The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...

Richard Kleindienst Richard Gordon Kleindienst (August 5, 1923 – February 3, 2000) was an American lawyer, politician, and U.S. Attorney General during the early stages of Watergate political scandal. He resigned his post in disgrace for his involvement in the Wa ...

by 53–47%. Goddard's campaign symbol, the Arizona

roadrunner The roadrunners (genus ''Geococcyx''), also known as chaparral birds or chaparral cocks, are two species of fast-running ground cuckoos with long tails and crests. They are found in the southwestern and south-central United States, Mexico and C ...

, became familiar throughout the state, and it helped bolster his reputation as a man of energy who got things done. As Governor, Goddard helped to organise a compromise amongst regional governors supporting the Colorado River Basin Project including the

Central Arizona Project The Central Arizona Project (CAP) is a 336 mi (541 km) diversion canal in Arizona in the southern United States. The aqueduct diverts water from the Colorado River at the Bill Williams Wildlife Refuge south portion of Lake Havasu n ...

. This secured a reliable water source for the state, providing a foundation for the subsequent rapid economic population and economic growth that has occurred. Governor Goddard signed a bill banning discrimination on grounds of race, gender, religion and ethnicity. He also established the state's first budget office and worked to improve relations with the Mexican state of

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

. He stood for re-election in 1966 but was defeated by Jack Williams, and lost to Williams again in 1968. Goddard also served as chair of the

Arizona Democratic Party The Arizona Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Arizona. Its headquarters are in Phoenix. Along with its main rival, the Arizona Republican Party, it is one of two major parties in the state. The Arizon ...

for 10 years and on the

for 20 years.

References

External links

Samuel P. Goddard Papers Online
from

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

Libraries
Biography
from

National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American Politics of the United States, political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 U.S. state, states, Territories of the United States, territories ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Goddard, Samuel Pearson Jr. 1919 births 2006 deaths United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II American Unitarian Universalists Arizona Democratic Party chairs Democratic Party governors of Arizona Harvard College alumni People from St. Louis County, Missouri Politicians from Tucson, Arizona Military personnel from Missouri United States Air Force colonels University of Arizona alumni United States Army Air Forces officers United States Air Force reservists Harvard Crimson rowers 20th-century Arizona politicians

Early life and career

Political career

References

Further reading

External links