Vernon B. Romney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vernon B. Romney
14th Attorney General of Utah
In office January 6, 1969 – January 3, 1977
Governor	Cal Rampton Scott M. Matheson
Preceded by	Phil L. Hansen
Succeeded by	Robert B. Hansen
Personal details
Born	Vernon Bradford Romney (1924-04-27)April 27, 1924 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died	July 13, 2013(2013-07-13) (aged 89) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Patricia Pingree ​ (m. 1951)​
Children	6
Relatives	Romney family
Alma mater	University of Utah (BS) George Washington University (JD)
Profession	Lawyer
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Unit	96th Infantry Division
Battles/wars	World War II

Vernon Bradford Romney (born April 27, 1924 – died July 13, 2013) was an American lawyer and a public servant. He was the top lawyer for the state of Utah, called the Attorney General, from 1969 to 1977. He also ran for Governor of Utah in 1976 as a Republican.

Vernon Romney was part of the well-known Romney family. He was also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early Life and Education

Vernon Romney was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the oldest of eight children. His father was also a lawyer and led the Republican Party in Utah for many years.

Vernon was a first cousin to George W. Romney and a first cousin once removed to Mitt Romney. He finished high school at East High School in 1941.

Military Service in World War II

During World War II, Romney served in the military. He was an infantryman, which means he was a soldier who fought on foot. He served in places like Okinawa and Leyte.

He was a radio operator and helped a chaplain in the 96th Infantry Division.

College and Law School

After the war, Romney went to college. He earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in political science from the University of Utah. Later, he earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, which is a law degree, from George Washington University in 1953.

Legal and Political Career

After finishing law school, Romney worked as a lawyer. He worked for the Federal Communications Commission, which is a government agency that regulates communication. He also worked for Senator Arthur V. Watkins in Washington, D.C.

For 15 years, he practiced law in Salt Lake City with different law firms. From 1955 to 1959, he was an Assistant Attorney General for Utah.

Serving as Attorney General

In 1968, Vernon Romney was elected as the Attorney General of Utah. He was re-elected in 1972, serving two terms. In this role, he was the chief legal officer for the state.

He worked on important cases, including one before the U.S. Supreme Court. This case was about getting mineral rights in the Great Salt Lake for the state of Utah. He also helped improve airline service to the Salt Lake International Airport.

Romney also worked to protect consumers in Utah. This means he helped make sure people were treated fairly when buying goods and services.

Later Political Work

In 1976, Romney ran for Governor of Utah but was not elected. After that, he served as the City Attorney for Highland, Utah, from 1977 to 1992. In this job, he provided legal advice to the city government.

Church Service

Vernon Romney was a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a missionary for his church several times.

• He served a mission in Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York, from 1948 to 1950.
• Later, with his wife Pat, he served missions in Charleston, West Virginia (1997-1998), and La Jolla, California (2001-2002).

Family Life

Vernon Romney married Patricia (Pat) Pingree on December 29, 1951. They had six children together.

His wife, Pat, was also involved in church service. In 1986, she became the national president of Lambda Delta Sigma, a church-sponsored group for college women.

Vernon and Pat had 21 grandchildren and, at the time of his death, 11 great-grandchildren.

Images for kids

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  Romney in 2005