John Spellman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Spellman
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| 18th Governor of Washington | |
| In office January 14, 1981 – January 16, 1985 |
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| Lieutenant | John Cherberg |
| Preceded by | Dixy Lee Ray |
| Succeeded by | Booth Gardner |
| 1st King County Executive | |
| In office May 1, 1969 – January 14, 1981 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ron Dunlap |
| King County Commissioner | |
| In office January 1, 1968 – May 1, 1969 |
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| Preceded by | Scott Wallace |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Dennis Spellman
December 29, 1926 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 2018 (aged 91) Seattle, Washington, U.S |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery Seattle, Washington |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Lois Murphy
(m. 1954) |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | Seattle University (BBA) Georgetown University (JD) |
| Occupation |
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| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1944–1946 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
John Dennis Spellman (born December 29, 1926 – died January 16, 2018) was an American politician. He served as the 18th governor of Washington from 1981 to 1985. Before that, he was the first King County Executive from 1969 to 1981.
Spellman became governor in 1980. This was a time when many Republicans won elections across the country. During his time as governor, Washington State's economy faced tough times. This was due to a period called the early 1980s recession. Spellman tried to get re-elected in 1984 but lost. He is the last Republican to have been the Governor of Washington.
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Early Life and Education
John Spellman was born in Seattle, Washington. His father, Sterling, worked in insurance, and his mother, Lela, was a teacher. His family had roots in Ireland and early American settlers. His grandfather, Dennis, came to Seattle from Ireland before the great fire of 1889. He became a successful plumbing contractor.
Spellman grew up in the suburbs of Hunts Point and Bellevue. He had a sister named Mary. His older brother, David, died during the Korean War. John graduated from Seattle Preparatory School in 1944.
In 1944, he joined the United States Merchant Marine cadet program. He also served in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, he used the G.I. Bill to go to college. He earned a degree in History and Political Science from Seattle University in 1949. In 1953, he graduated from Georgetown University Law Center. At Seattle University, he met Lois Elizabeth Murphy. They married in 1954 and had six children.
Starting His Political Career
Spellman entered politics by joining a group of Republicans who wanted to improve their party. In the early 1960s, he worked as a lawyer. He also became a member of the Municipal Civic Service Commission.
In 1964, Spellman ran for mayor of Seattle. However, he did not win enough votes in the first round of the election. Later that year, he helped Dan Evans in his successful campaign for governor.
In 1967, Spellman was elected to the three-person King County Commission. Voters then approved a plan to create a new government structure for the county. This new plan established the office of County Executive. In 1969, Spellman was elected as the county's first chief executive. He won against former governor Albert Rosellini.
As County Executive, Spellman helped set up the county's new government. He brought different departments together. He also replaced the old system of giving jobs to friends with a system based on merit. Spellman also oversaw the building of the Kingdome. This was a large stadium that became home to the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners sports teams. He also started early efforts to manage the county's growth. He was re-elected as County Executive two more times, in 1973 and 1977.
Governor of Washington (1981–1985)
Spellman first ran for governor in 1976. He was the top Republican in the primary election. But he lost the main election to Democrat Dixy Lee Ray.
He ran for governor again in 1980. He won the Republican primary election by a small margin. The Democratic candidate was Jim McDermott. Spellman defeated McDermott by a large number of votes in the general election. This was a year when Republicans won many political races across the country.
During Spellman's four years as governor, Washington's economy faced a serious recession. This meant high unemployment and less tax money coming in. The Washington State Legislature disagreed on how to fix the money problems. But they did agree to raise Washington's statewide sales tax rate. It went from 5.5% to 6.5%. Even though Spellman had promised not to raise taxes, he pushed for new taxes to cover the money shortages.
One important thing Spellman did was his strong focus on environmental protection. Business groups and many lawmakers wanted him to approve a risky development project. This project was in a sensitive shoreline area of Whatcom County. But Spellman said no to the bill, protecting the environment. The state senate later voted to allow the project anyway. He also successfully stopped a plan for an oil pipeline under the Puget Sound. He worried it would harm the water's environment. He stuck to his decision even when many people supported the pipeline.
In September 1983, U.S. Senator Henry M. Jackson passed away. Governor Spellman chose former Republican governor Daniel J. Evans to fill the empty U.S. Senate seat. The Democratic party did not like this choice. However, Spellman's appointment was legal under the laws at the time. A new election for the Senate seat was held just three weeks after Evans was appointed.
In 1984, Spellman ran for a second term as governor. He faced Booth Gardner, the Democratic candidate. In the November 1984 election, Spellman lost to Booth Gardner. No Republican has served as governor of Washington since then.
After Being Governor
After leaving office in January 1985, Spellman went back to being a lawyer. In 1990, he ran to become a judge on the Washington Supreme Court. However, he was not elected. Spellman was a partner at a law firm in Seattle called Carney Badley Spellman.
In 2006, he received the James R. Ellis Regional Leadership Award. This award recognized his leadership in the King County region.
His Passing
On December 27, 2017, John Spellman fell and broke his hip. He was taken to Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. He died from pneumonia on January 16, 2018, at the age of 91.
