Steve Cowper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Cowper
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Cowper in 1990
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| 6th Governor of Alaska | |
| In office December 1, 1986 – December 3, 1990 |
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| Lieutenant | Steve McAlpine |
| Preceded by | Bill Sheffield |
| Succeeded by | Wally Hickel |
| Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 20th district |
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| In office January 20, 1975 – January 14, 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephen Cambreleng Cowper
August 21, 1938 Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Army |
| Unit | Army Medical Corps United States Army Reserve |
Stephen Cambreleng Cowper (born August 21, 1938) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He served as the sixth governor of Alaska from 1986 to 1990. A major event during his time as governor was the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Today, Cowper is the CEO of Steve Cowper & Associates. He also works with many energy companies in the United States and Canada.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Steve Cowper was born in 1938 in Petersburg, Virginia. He grew up in Kinston, North Carolina. He went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, he earned degrees in arts and law.
After college, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and the U.S. Army Reserve. He then worked as a lawyer for three years. In 1968, Cowper moved to Fairbanks, Alaska. He became an assistant district attorney there.
In 1970, Cowper traveled to Vietnam and other parts of Asia as a writer. When he returned to Alaska, he wrote for a local newspaper. He also taught a college course and worked in an air taxi business. He even worked as a diver for a marine research team.
Political Journey
In 1974, Steve Cowper was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives. He served two terms, which means he was a representative for eight years. During this time, he led important committees. For example, he was the chairman of the Finance Committee from 1977 to 1978.
In 1982, Cowper decided to run for governor of Alaska. He did not win the Democratic Party's nomination that year. Another politician, Bill Sheffield, won instead and became governor.
Becoming Governor of Alaska (1986–1990)
Steve Cowper ran for governor again in 1986. This time, he won the Democratic nomination by a large margin. On November 4, 1986, he won the general election. He received 47% of the votes.
Once he became governor, Cowper faced a big challenge. Alaska had a billion-dollar money problem. He suggested bringing back a state income tax to help fix this. However, many people did not agree with this idea.
Governor Cowper also focused on education. He wanted to expand the University of Alaska's international study programs. He also thought it was important for schools to teach foreign languages and cultures. In early 1989, he announced that he would not run for re-election in 1990. This decision surprised some people.
The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
One of the most significant events during Governor Cowper's term was the Exxon Valdez oil spill. This happened on March 24, 1989. An oil tanker, the Exxon Valdez, hit a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. This caused a huge amount of crude oil to spill into the ocean.
The oil spill was a major environmental disaster. It harmed a lot of wildlife and polluted many miles of coastline. Governor Cowper played a key role in managing the state's response to this crisis. He worked to organize cleanup efforts and deal with the effects of the spill.
Life After Being Governor
After his time as governor ended in 1990, Steve Cowper continued to be active. In 1991, he worked as a visiting fellow at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He also helped lead conferences about fishing in the Pacific Ocean in 1994 and 1997.
Since 1991, he has been the CEO of Steve Cowper & Associates. This company helps other businesses and governments with energy-related projects. He has also served on the boards of many energy companies in the US and Canada. As of 2010, Steve Cowper lived in Austin, Texas.
