Walter Dale Miller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Dale Miller
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| 29th Governor of South Dakota | |
| In office April 19, 1993 – January 7, 1995 |
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| Lieutenant | Steve T. Kirby |
| Preceded by | George S. Mickelson |
| Succeeded by | Bill Janklow |
| 34th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota | |
| In office January 6, 1987 – April 19, 1993 |
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| Governor | George S. Mickelson |
| Preceded by | Lowell C. Hansen II |
| Succeeded by | Steve T. Kirby |
| Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives | |
| In office January 1967 – January 6, 1987 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | October 5, 1925 Viewfield, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | September 28, 2015 (aged 89) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Occupation |
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Walter Dale "Walt" Miller (October 5, 1925 – September 28, 2015) was an important American politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 29th Governor of South Dakota from 1993 to 1995. He became governor after the previous governor, George S. Mickelson, passed away. At 67 years old, he was the oldest person to become Governor of South Dakota.
Contents
Walter Dale Miller: A Life in Public Service
Early Life and Work
Walter Dale Miller was born in 1925 in Viewfield, South Dakota, a small community. This area was close to his family's ranch. He lived and worked on this ranch for most of his life.
He attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Besides ranching, Miller was also a businessman. He was the president of the Dakota National Life Insurance Company for many years, from 1970 to 1985.
Serving South Dakota
Miller began his political career in 1967. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives for nearly 20 years. During his time there, he held several important leadership roles.
He was the House Majority Leader from 1975 to 1978, and again in 1986. This meant he led the main political party in the House. In 1981 and 1982, he was the Speaker of the House. The Speaker is the leader of the entire House of Representatives. He also served as Speaker Pro Tempore, Assistant Majority Leader, and Majority Whip.
In 1987, Miller became the 34th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota. He was the first person to hold this job full-time. He served as Lieutenant Governor until April 19, 1993. On that day, Governor George S. Mickelson passed away. Walter Miller then became the Governor of South Dakota.
Governor of South Dakota
Walter Miller served as Governor from 1993 to 1995. He was 67 years old when he took office. This made him the oldest person to become Governor of South Dakota.
In 1994, he ran for governor again in the Republican primary election. However, he lost to Bill Janklow, who had been governor before.
Later Life and Family
After leaving the governor's office, Miller continued to work on his ranch. The ranch was located north of New Underwood, South Dakota. He also spent time in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. There, he was involved in different business and ranching activities.
In 1943, he married Mary Randall. They had four children: Nancy, Karey, Randy, and Renee. Mary passed away in 1989. In 1993, while he was governor, Miller married Patricia Caldwell. This made him the first South Dakota governor to marry while in office. He also had two stepchildren, Cade and Rebecca.
Walter Miller passed away on September 28, 2015. He was 89 years old and was visiting Dallas, Texas at the time. He was buried in Viewfield, South Dakota.
See also
In Spanish: Walter Dale Miller para niños
