William R. Schulz facts for kids

William R. Schulz, born on April 4, 1931, is an American businessman and politician. He ran for important political jobs in Arizona. He was a candidate for Governor of Arizona in 1986. He also ran for the U.S. Senate in 1980 against Barry Goldwater.

Early Life and Education

William R. Schulz, often called Bill, was born in Des Moines, Iowa. His parents were Herman Schulz and Ellen Margaret Hazelrigg. He went to Greenwood Elementary School.

Bill graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute in 1949. He then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, finishing in 1954. After West Point, he served as an officer in the United States Army. He was stationed in Germany from 1954 to 1957. He reached the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.

In 1957, Bill left the Army to start a career in business. He went to Harvard University's business school. He graduated from Harvard Business School in 1959.

Business Ventures

After graduating from Harvard, Schulz started his own company called Homesmith. This business offered home repair services in the Palo Alto, California, area.

Later, Schulz founded another company, W. R. Schulz and Associates. This company owned and managed many apartment buildings. They managed 88 garden apartment properties in the Phoenix metropolitan area. As of 2025, W. R. Schulz still manages two large apartment complexes. These are Forest Park Apartments and Fountains in the Green, both in midtown Phoenix.

Schulz is known for his clever and practical ways of solving business problems. He also has a great love for trees. He wrote a book called "Looking Back, With Some Forward Thoughts." This book shares his family's history up to 1990.

Stepping into Politics

Bill Schulz became involved in politics after helping to pass a new law. This law was called the Apartment Renter's Tax Relief Bill. It helped people who rented apartments.

His first attempt to run for political office was in 1978. He ran as a Democratic candidate for Governor of Arizona. The current governor was Wesley Bolin. Schulz traveled around the state to gather ideas for his campaign. He called his plan "Goals for Arizona."

In March 1978, Governor Bolin passed away. After this, Schulz decided to stop his campaign. He chose to support Bruce Babbitt instead. Babbitt was the Attorney General of Arizona at the time. He then became the new governor.

Running for U.S. Senate

After the 1978 election, Schulz decided to run for the U.S. Senate in 1980. He wanted to challenge the sitting U.S. Senator, Barry Goldwater. Schulz's campaign slogan was "Energy for the Eighties."

He won the Democratic nomination, beating two other candidates. In the main election, Schulz lost by a very small amount. Goldwater received 49.5% of the votes, and Schulz received 48.4%. Schulz accepted the results and did not challenge them.

Later Gubernatorial Campaigns

In 1984, Schulz announced he would run for governor again in 1986. However, he first withdrew from the race in 1985. This was because his daughter was having health issues.

Later, Schulz decided to re-enter the race. But because of the timing, he had to run as an independent candidate. He could no longer seek the Democratic nomination. In September 1986, Schulz collected enough signatures. This allowed him to be on the November ballot as an independent.

During the election, some people criticized Schulz for changing his views on issues. Even though Schulz was ahead in many polls before the election, he did not win. The Republican candidate, Evan Mecham, became Governor. The election was a three-way contest, which caused the Democratic candidate, Carolyn Warner, to lose by a small margin.

Evan Mecham was removed from office just two years later. The 1986 election marked the end of Schulz's political career. He then returned to working in the private business sector.