Udall And Vanik
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Udall family is a U.S. political family rooted in the
American West The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is census regions United States Census Bureau As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the mea ...
. Its role in politics spans over 100 years and four generations. Udall politicians have been elected from four different states:
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
,
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
,
New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
, and
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. If viewed as a combined entity, the Udall-Hunt-Lee family has been elected from six states: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, and Utah. Three Udall family cousins were nominated by the two major American political parties for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
elections of 2008, of which the two Democrats were elected and seated in 2009.


Pioneer generation

David King Udall David King Udall, Sr. (September 7, 1851 – February 18, 1938) was an American politician who was a representative to the Arizona Territorial Legislature and the founder of the Udall political family. Childhood years David King Udall was born ...
can be considered the family's founder. He was born in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, to David Udall and Eliza King, recent
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
converts from
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. They immigrated to the United States in 1851. The family traveled across the
Great Plains The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...
and
Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...
by
ox cart A bullock cart or ox cart (sometimes called a Carriage#Bullock carriage, bullock carriage when carrying people in particular) is a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen. It is a means of transportation used since ancient times in m ...
and settled in
Nephi, Utah Nephi ( ) is a city in Juab County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 6,443 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Juab County. It was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1851 as Salt C ...
. The elder David later became a Mormon
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
. In this environment, the younger David grew up to be a fervent Mormon as well. He married Ella Stewart, and they settled in
Kanab, Utah Kanab ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Utah, United States.Find a County
". ' ...
. Shortly after their marriage, David left to serve as a missionary in England for two years. In 1880, he was called by his church to move with his family to St. Johns, Apache County, Arizona, in order to become the local bishop and facilitate further Mormon migration into that community. This made David unpopular with established residents of St. Johns, who didn't want the Mormons there, but it did make him instantly prominent in the community. David married a second wife, Ida Hunt, in 1882. She was a granddaughter of
Jefferson Hunt Jefferson Hunt (January 20, 1803 – May 11, 1879) was a U.S. western pioneer, soldier, and politician. He was a captain in the Mormon Battalion, brigadier general in the California State Militia, a California State Assemblyman, and a represent ...
. David was prosecuted for, but not convicted of,
bigamy In a culture where only monogamous relationships are legally recognized, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their mar ...
in 1884. In 1885, he was indicted for
perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...
stemming from a sworn statement he made backing a land claim for Miles Romney (the grandfather of
George W. Romney George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd gove ...
). His bail was posted by Baron Goldwater, the father of
Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...
. The trial and its aftermath received heavy regional press coverage. David was convicted and sentenced to three years of imprisonment at a federal penitentiary in
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. Later, both the prosecutor and presiding judge at the trial wrote letters to President
Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States, serving from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. He was the first U.S. president to serve nonconsecutive terms and the first Hist ...
supporting a pardon, stating they believed that David had misunderstood the law and that he lacked any criminal intent. President Cleveland issued a pardon after David had served just three months of his sentence. In 1887, David was made a
stake president A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple congregations in certain denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. The name "stake" derives from the Book of Isaiah: "enlarge the place of thy tent; stretch forth the curtains of thine ha ...
, a higher position in the Mormon hierarchy. In that position, he oversaw Mormon affairs over a broad portion of Arizona. That same year,
Tommy Stewart Tommy Stewart is an American drummer, currently for the rock band Lo-Pro. He is best known for his work with the band Godsmack. He has also toured and recorded with a number of other bands including Detroit based metal band Halloween, glam rock ...
, David's double brother-in-law, was elected to serve in the Utah Territorial Legislature. David's wife Eliza was Tommy's sister, and Tommy was married to David's sister Mary, making Tommy a member of the Udall family by marriage. Tommy would later become mayor of Kanab. In 1890, the LDS Church officially declared that it opposed its members entering into polygamous marriages. After this, hostility toward Mormons in many communities outside Utah decreased. Between improved relations with non-Mormons and an ever-growing Mormon population in eastern Arizona, David's popularity improved, such that he was elected to a single term in the
Arizona Territorial Legislature The Arizona Territorial Legislature was the legislative body of Arizona Territory. It was a bicameral legislature consisting of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the council. Created by the Arizona Organic Act, the l ...
in 1899 as a Republican. He died as a widely respected member of his community in 1938, living long enough to see several of his sons elected to public office. David's younger brother, Joseph Udall, also settled in Arizona, becoming a Mormon Bishop in
Eagar, Arizona Eagar () is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population of the town was 4,885. The area was the home of the Apache people. The town of Eagar was first settled by European Am ...
, and was active in local politics. He served as chairman of the Apache County Board of Supervisors, 1906–1920.


Sons of David King Udall

Twelve of David King Udall's children lived to adulthood, six by each of his wives. Four of his sons became attorneys; of those, all were elected or appointed to political and judicial offices. All of the Udall politicians descended from David's wife Eliza have been Democrats, while most of the politicians descended from his wife Ida have been
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. The first of David's children to seek office was Levi Stewart Udall, who ran for clerk to the Arizona Superior Court in 1922 as a Democrat. His older brother,
John Hunt Udall John Hunt Udall (August 23, 1889 – March 3, 1959) was mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1936 to 1938. He was a member of the Udall political family. Biography The son of David King Udall and Ida Frances (Hunt) Udall, he was born and ra ...
, then filed to run for the same office as a Republican. John won. John was later elected mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, and he served in that office from 1936 to 1938. He later served as a judge and was narrowly defeated as a candidate for the U.S. Congress in 1948. He was first married to Ruth Kimball, sister of Spencer W. Kimball and niece by marriage of
Joseph F. Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Sr. (November 13, 1838 – November 19, 1918) was an American religious leader who served as the sixth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a nephew of Joseph Smith, founder of ...
. Ruth died at a young age, and he remarried to Leah Smith, daughter of
Jesse Nathaniel Smith Jesse Nathaniel Smith (December 2, 1834 – June 5, 1906) was a Mormon pioneer, church leader, colonizer, politician and frontiersman. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a first cousin to Josep ...
. Levi followed a career in the judiciary and was elected Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court in 1946. He served on that Court from 1947 until his death in 1960, and he was Chief Justice 1951–1953 and 1957–1959. Levi was married to Louisa Lee. His brother, Jesse, was married to Louisa's sister, Lela Lee. For this reason, their respective descendants are double cousins. The Lee sisters were granddaughters of John D. Lee and
Jacob Hamblin Jacob Hamblin (April 2, 1819 – August 31, 1886) was a Western pioneer, a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and a diplomat to various Native American tribes of the Southwest and Great Basin. He a ...
. Jesse Addison Udall served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1931 to 1938. Upon his brother Levi's death, he was appointed by the governor to fill the same seat on the Arizona Supreme Court. He served 1960–1972, and he was Chief Justice in 1964 and 1969.
Don Taylor Udall Don Taylor Udall (July 20, 1897 – March 14, 1976) was a member of the Arizona State Legislature from the Udall political family. Born and raised in Arizona, he was the son of David King Udall and Ida Frances (Hunt) Udall. He graduated fro ...
served as Representative to the
Arizona State Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is one of the largest ...
Legislature from 1941–1942. He resigned to serve in World War II and would later become a judge.


Grandchildren of David King Udall

Nick Udall John Nicholas Udall (July 23, 1913 – June 15, 2005), usually called Nick Udall, was mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1948 to 1952. He was a member of the Udall family, Udall political family and was also a nephew of Spencer W. Kimball, th ...
, son of John H. Udall, followed in his father's footsteps and served as mayor of Phoenix from 1948 to 1952. Unlike his father, he was a Democrat. He also served as a Superior Court Judge in
Maricopa County, Arizona Maricopa County () is a County (United States), county in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 4,420,568, or about 62% of the state's total, making it the List ...
, from 1952 to 1956. Many kinships between the Udalls and other politicians and well-known people come through Nick. This is not so surprising when considering that Nick was a great-grandson of Utah Lieutenant Governor
Heber C. Kimball Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June 22, 1868) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Church of the Latter Day Saints, and as first counselor to Brigham Young ...
, who had 43 wives, 63 children, 176 grandchildren, and 564 great-grandchildren. Among Nick's cousins is U.S. Ambassador
J. Reuben Clark Joshua Reuben Clark Jr. (September 1, 1871 – October 6, 1961) was an American attorney, civil servant, and a prominent leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Born in Grantsville, Utah Territory, Clark was a ...
. Stewart Lee Udall, son of Levi S. Udall, served as a Democratic
U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
from
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
(1955–1961) and also as
Secretary of the Interior Secretary of the Interior may refer to: * Secretary of the Interior (Mexico) * Interior Secretary of Pakistan * Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (Philippines) * United States Secretary of the Interior See also

*Interior ministry ...
(1961–1969). Point Udall, U.S. Virgin Islands, the easternmost point in the United States, is named in his honor. Morris King "Mo" Udall, Stewart's brother, also served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Arizona (1961–1991) and ran for the Democratic nomination for
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
in 1976. Point Udall, Guam, the westernmost point in the United States, is named in his honor. David K. Udall, son of Jesse A. Udall, served as a city councilman in
Mesa, Arizona Mesa ( ) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 504,258 at the 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Arizona, third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, T ...
, for eight years. L. Kenyon Udall, son of Jesse A. Udall, served as the mayor of
Gilbert, Arizona Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located southeast of Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Gilbert is home to 288,128 residents. It is the fifth-most populous municipality in Arizona and is considered a suburb of Phoenix. I ...
, from January 17, 1956, to June 8, 1959. Joseph Leon Pace, son of Luella Udall Pace, was mayor of
San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...
, during the 1960s.


Fourth generation

Thomas Stewart "Tom" Udall, Stewart Udall's son, was the first of David King Udall's great-grandchildren to hold political office. He was a practicing attorney and ran unsuccessfully for Congress as a Democrat in New Mexico in 1984 and 1988. In 1990, he was elected Attorney General of New Mexico, a position he held from 1991–1999. He was finally elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico's 3rd District in 1998, and he served as Representative from 1999–2009. During this period, he served in Congress beside his cousins Mark Udall and Gordon Smith (see below), marking one of the very few times in history when three members of the same family have served in Congress simultaneously. In 2008, he was elected to the U.S. Senate from New Mexico in a landslide victory. He took office in January 2009. In 2019, he announced he would not seek a third term. Gordon Harold Smith, Jesse Udall's grandson through his daughter Jessica Udall Smith, was the next to venture into politics. His father, Milan Dale Smith, Sr., was an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and he later built a successful frozen food empire. Gordon obtained a law degree and initially pursued a career as an attorney before later taking over the frozen food business. In 1992, he was elected to the Oregon State Senate as a Republican. He became president of that body in 1995. In 1996, he was narrowly defeated when running for the U.S. Senate in a special election to replace
Bob Packwood Robert William Packwood (born September 11, 1932) is an American retired lawyer and politician from Oregon who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1969 to 1995. He resigned from the U.S. Senate under threat of expulsion, in 1995 ...
. Later that year, he won election to Oregon's other U.S. Senate seat, the only time anyone has ever run for the Senate twice in the same year. He served in the Senate from 1997–2009. In 2008, he was narrowly defeated for reelection, following a shift in Oregon politics over the preceding decade toward the Democratic Party. He was the last remaining Republican to hold statewide office at the time. Most Udall politicians have also been either
Hunt Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...
or
Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...
descendants. Gordon Smith is unique in being descended from both additional lines. Mark Emery Udall, Morris Udall's son, pursued a 20-year career as an
Outward Bound Outward Bound (OB) is an international network of outdoor education organisations that was founded in the United Kingdom by Lawrence Holt in 1941 based on the educational principles of Kurt Hahn. Today there are organisations, called schools, i ...
instructor and director before launching a political career in 1996 with a successful campaign for the Colorado State House of Representatives as a Democrat. He served a single term there before making a successful bid for the U.S. House from Colorado's 2nd Congressional District in 1998. He held that office for ten years. In 2008, he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Colorado, and he was seated in January 2009. Raised Presbyterian, Mark is the first non-Mormon politician in the family. With
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
's nomination of
Ken Salazar Kenneth Lee Salazar (born March 2, 1955) is an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as United States ambassador to Mexico from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as the 50th United States Secretary of the Interior in the administ ...
as Secretary of the Interior, Colorado's other Senate seat was vacated on January 20, 2009, and Mark became Colorado's senior senator after just three weeks in office. In 2014, he was defeated for re-election by Republican
Cory Gardner Cory Scott Gardner (born August 22, 1974) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Colorado from 2015 to 2021. A Republican, he was the U.S. representative for Colorado's 4th congressional district from ...
. Milan Dale Smith, Jr., Gordon Smith's brother, was nominated to the federal judiciary by George W. Bush in 2006. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate (including his brother), and he currently serves on the U.S. Ninth Circuit. David King Udall, son of Mesa councilman David K. Udall, serves as a Superior Court Judge in Maricopa County, Arizona (since 2001). His brother Jesse is married to Michelle Udall, who was elected to the
Arizona House of Representatives The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The upper house is the Arizona Senate, Senate. The House convenes in the le ...
in 2016.
Mike Lee Michael Shumway Lee (born June 4, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Utah, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Lee became Utah's senior senator in 2019, whe ...
and Thomas R. Lee, though not Udalls, are second cousins to Mark and Tom Udall and Gordon Smith; their father,
Rex E. Lee Rex Edwin Lee (February 27, 1935 – March 11, 1996) was an American lawyer and academic who served as the 37th solicitor general of the United States from 1981 to 1985. He was responsible for bringing the solicitor general's office to the center ...
, a well-known scholar of
constitutional law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in ...
and
solicitor general A solicitor general is a government official who serves as the chief representative of the government in courtroom proceedings. In systems based on the English common law that have an attorney general or equivalent position, the solicitor general ...
from 1981 to 1985, was a first cousin of Stewart and Morris Udall; Mike Lee serves as a United States senator from Utah (since 2011); and Thomas R. Lee is an associate justice of the Utah Supreme Court.


Family tree


See also

* Lee–Hamblin family *
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Arizona The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the second-largest religious denomination in Arizona, behind the Roman Catholic Church. In 2022, the church reported 439,411 members in Arizona, about 6% of the state's population. According to t ...


Notes


References

* * * * *


Further reading

*


External links


Udall Family of Arizona
at
The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 Politics of the United States, American political figures and List of United States political families, political families, along with other informa ...
;Individual officeholder sites
Mark Udall's US Senate Homepage

Tom Udall's US Senate Homepage
;University of Arizona collections
Morris K. Udall collection at the University of Arizona








{{DEFAULTSORT:Udall Family Latter Day Saint families Families from Arizona Political families of the United States