Joseph P. Teasdale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph Teasdale
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Teasdale (c. 1977)
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| 48th Governor of Missouri | |
| In office January 10, 1977 – January 12, 1981 |
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| Lieutenant | Bill Phelps |
| Preceded by | Kit Bond |
| Succeeded by | Kit Bond |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Patrick Teasdale
March 29, 1936 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | May 8, 2014 (aged 78) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Theresa Ferkenhoff
(m. 1973) |
| Relations | William B. Teasdale (grandfather) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Rockhurst University (BA) Saint Louis University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Rank | Airman 3rd Class |
| Unit | Reserves
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Joseph Patrick Teasdale (born March 29, 1936 – died May 8, 2014) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party. Teasdale served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. Before becoming governor, he worked as a prosecutor for Jackson County, Missouri.
In 1972, Teasdale first tried to become governor. He finished third in the Democratic primary election. However, he became well-known and earned the nickname "Walking Joe." In 1976, Teasdale ran for governor again. He won the election, surprisingly defeating the current governor, Kit Bond. In 1980, Teasdale lost his re-election bid to Kit Bond. After leaving office, Teasdale went back to being a lawyer until he passed away.
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Early Life and Education
Joseph Teasdale was born in Kansas City, Missouri. His parents were William and Adah Downey Teasdale. Joseph's father was a well-known lawyer in Kansas City.
Joseph and his three sisters were raised as strong Catholics. Teasdale was a talented athlete in many sports. He played sports while attending Rockhurst High School. He was later honored in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. After high school, he went to St. Benedict's College. This school is now called Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. He was part of the school's 1954 NAIA National Champion basketball team. Teasdale later earned a college degree from Rockhurst University. He then earned a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law.
Career Highlights
From 1962 to 1966, Teasdale worked as a lawyer for the government. He was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. One of his jobs was to lead a team that dealt with groups involved in illegal activities. In the early 1960s, he joined the United States Air Force Reserve. He served at Whiteman Air Force Base. He was an Airman Third Class and helped with legal tasks for the 442nd Military Airlift Wing.
In 1966, Teasdale was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County, Missouri. He was the youngest person ever to hold that job. A group called the Committee for County Progress supported him. This group wanted new leaders in the county. In 1970, he ran for a county judge position. However, he lost a close election in the Democratic primary.
Running for Governor
1972 Campaign for Governor
In 1971, Teasdale announced he wanted to run for governor of Missouri. This was for the 1972 election. Teasdale was young and presented himself as a new face for the party. He wanted to appeal to voters like John F. Kennedy did. In the summer of 1971, Teasdale said he would walk across the state. He did this to gain support for his campaign. He finished third in the primary election. He was behind Edward L. Dowd and Lieutenant Governor William Morris.
Even though he lost, his campaign style earned him the nickname "Walking Joe." Teasdale got this idea from Florida politician "Walkin' Lawton Chiles." His campaign team estimated he walked over 1,000 miles. This was in the months leading up to the primary election. Despite losing, Teasdale became well-known and received a lot of news coverage. After the campaign, Teasdale hinted he would run for office again in the future.
1976 Campaign for Governor
In 1974, Teasdale first tried to run for a U.S. Senate seat. This seat was held by Stuart Symington. During this campaign, he spoke out against the policies of Henry Kissinger. However, while campaigning, Teasdale found many people wanted him to run for governor again. He soon dropped out of the Senate race. He then switched to the Governor's race.
In the primary election, Teasdale faced William Cason. Cason was favored by most Democratic groups. Despite this, Teasdale defeated Cason in the August 3rd primary. In the November election, Teasdale ran against the current Governor Kit Bond. Bond seemed likely to win. One poll showed Bond ahead of Teasdale by a lot. Teasdale promised to work for everyday Missourians. He also vowed to fight against big utility companies raising their prices. He said Bond was too friendly with big businesses. In the final weeks, Teasdale spent more money on ads than Bond. On election night, Teasdale was elected governor by 13,000 votes. His win in the 1976 Missouri gubernatorial election was a big surprise. News anchor Dan Rather even said, "the story in the Midwest is not Jimmy Carter, it's Walkin' Joe Teasdale!"
As Governor of Missouri
Teasdale's unexpected win surprised many, including Teasdale himself. He had not prepared a team to help him take over. The changeover was difficult because Teasdale was not ready. Also, Governor Bond did not cooperate much. There were no official laws to help with the process. During this time, Teasdale avoided talking to the news. He focused on learning more about his new job.
Teasdale was the first Missouri Governor from Kansas City in over 80 years. As governor, Teasdale fought against utility companies. He appointed new members to the Missouri Public Service Commission. This state agency decides whether to approve or deny price increases. Teasdale also created the state's first Division of Aging. He increased money for the Department of Mental Health. He also helped rewrite many health laws. Teasdale strongly supported the Nursing Home Reform Act. He also wanted to remove sales tax on prescription medicines.
He was willing to work with politicians from other parties. He supported Republican Mel Hancock's idea to limit state taxes. Teasdale also strongly opposed the Meramec Dam project. This project would have greatly affected rivers southwest of St. Louis. In 1977, he signed a law that brought back the death penalty in Missouri. He later said he regretted this decision. In 1980, Teasdale made state history. He was the first Missouri governor in 140 years to have a veto overturned by the state legislature. He upset many in his own party. This happened when he opposed the cost of building the Harry S. Truman state office building in Jefferson City.
1980 Re-election Campaign
In the 1980 election, Teasdale faced a challenge from within his own party. The State Treasurer, Jim Spainhower, ran against him. Spainhower had been thought of as a possible challenger since 1977. This was because he could not run for state treasurer again. In 1978, Teasdale met with Spainhower to discuss his plans. He realized Spainhower would challenge him. Spainhower officially announced his plans on August 15, 1979. He criticized Teasdale for not leading well and for favoring friends. Important Democrats like Senator Thomas Eagleton and St. Louis Mayor Jim Conway supported Spainhower.
Teasdale successfully defeated Spainhower in the primary. He then faced Kit Bond again in the general election. This was a rematch of the 1976 election. Teasdale said Bond governed for the wealthy. Bond said Teasdale did not lower utility rates. In the November election, Bond defeated Teasdale. Bond won with 53% of the votes, while Teasdale received 47%.
Later Career
After leaving the governor's office in January 1981, Teasdale returned to Kansas City. He started his own law practice. One of his most important cases involved representing victims and families. These were people affected by the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse. Teasdale loved the outdoors his whole life. He often spent time on hunting and fishing trips.
Teasdale mostly stayed out of state politics after his defeat. He told a newspaper reporter in 1993, "I wanted to become a normal person again. I really wasn't normal before. For 20 years I was completely focused on politics." In 1981, he chose not to run for an open congressional seat. He wanted to spend time with his family and focus on his law practice. He also did not want to get more debt, as he was still paying off debts from his 1980 campaign. In 1982, he supported Harriett Woods. She was running to defeat John Danforth for U.S. Senate. In 1992, he managed the campaign of Judith Moriarty. She was running to be Secretary of State of Missouri. Moriarty won, but later had issues with her job and was removed from office. In the late 1990s, his views on the death penalty changed. He worked to help David Leisure, a man convicted of murder.
Personal Life
In 1973, Teasdale married Theresa Ferkenhoff. They had three sons: Bill, John, and Kevin. His middle son, John, was a multi-sport athlete at Rockhurst High School, like his father. John later played football at the University of Notre Dame.
Joseph Teasdale passed away on May 8, 2014, in Kansas City, Missouri. He died from problems related to pneumonia.
Images for kids
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Teasdale (circa 1977)
