Bob Walkup
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Short description|American politician (1936–2021)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bob Walkup
| image = Bob Walkup 2005.jpg
| imagesize = 205px
| office = 40th Mayor of Tucson
| term_start = December 6, 1999
| term_end = December 5, 2011
| predecessor = George Miller
| successor = Jonathan Rothschild
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|11|14}}
| birth_place = Ames, Iowa, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|03|12|1936|11|14}}
| death_place = Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
| alma_mater = Iowa State University
| profession = Industrial engineer
| residence = Tucson, Arizona
| spouse = Beth Walkup
| children = 3
| religion =
| party = Republican
}}
Robert E. Walkup (November 14, 1936 – March 12, 2021) was an American politician who served as the 40th mayor of Tucson from 1999 to 2011.
Early life and career
Walkup was born in Ames, Iowa, on November 14, 1936. His father was a professor of engineering at Iowa State University. He obtained a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State University, before serving in the US Army Corps of Engineers.{{cite news|title=Bob Walkup, who served three terms as Tucson mayor, dies at 84|url=https://tucson.com/news/local/bob-walkup-former-tucson-mayor-dies-at-84/article_72c0c53a-b2ce-5b22-b810-71306ef6d048.html|first=Carmen|last=Duarte|date=March 13, 2021|access-date=March 13, 2021|newspaper=Arizona Daily Star|location=Tucson, Arizona}} Upon his return from military service, he worked in the aerospace industry for 35 years.{{cite news|title=Former Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup has died|url=https://kvoa.com/news/2021/03/13/longtime-tucson-mayor-bob-walkup-has-died/|date=March 13, 2021|accessdate=March 13, 2021|publisher=KVOA}} He was employed by Rockwell International, Fairchild Republic, and Hughes Aircraft Company. While working at Rockwell International, Fairchild Republic, he oversaw the production of the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II.{{Cite web|last=Duarte|first=Carmen|title=Bob Walkup, who served three terms as Tucson mayor, dies at 84|url=https://tucson.com/news/local/bob-walkup-who-served-three-terms-as-tucson-mayor-dies-at-84/article_72c0c53a-b2ce-5b22-b810-71306ef6d048.html|access-date=March 14, 2021|website=Arizona Daily Star|language=en}} He also served as the chairman of the Tucson Economic Council.
Mayoral career
Walkup was first elected on November 2, 1999, defeating Democratic former City Councilwoman Molly McKasson and local businessman Bob Beaudry. Benefitting from a split in the Democratic vote,{{cite news| title = The Skinny: Top Dog| work = Tucson Weekly|date= February 15, 2001 | url = http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=43639 | accessdate = March 7, 2008}} he was sworn into office on December 6, 1999, succeeding two-term Tucson mayor George Miller, who retired from office as the city's longest-serving official.{{cite news| title= Tucson's longest serving official leaves office |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0rAKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=O00DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6195,883603&dq=bob+walkup+miller&hl=en |work=Associated Press via The Daily Courier |date= December 6, 1999 |accessdate=January 14, 2011}} He became the first Republican mayor of Tucson since 1983.{{cite news | title = City Hall Brawl | first = Jim |last=Nintzel | work = Tucson Weekly |date= June 19, 2003 | url = http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/Currents/Content?oid=47188 | accessdate = March 7, 2008}}
During his first term as mayor, Walkup intervened after both the University Medical Center and Tucson Medical Center announced the closure of their trauma centers in 2001. He phoned every hospital in the city and hosted a meeting at his office, where plans were formulated for a new world class trauma center, opened on January 8, 2008. He oversaw Tucson's resumption of using Colorado River water in 2001, which was suspended in the 1990s after it corroded residents' pipes. The city corrected this issue by diminishing its salinity and mineral levels. The reintroduction added to the potable supply and decreased reliance on groundwater.
Walkup was re-elected for a second term November 4, 2003, narrowly defeating Democratic former mayor Tom Volgy.{{cite news
| title = UA prof trails in mayoral election
| author = Simmons, Devin
| author2 = Greg Holt
| name-list-style = amp
| work = Arizona Daily Wildcat
|date= November 5, 2003
| url = http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/97/52/01_1.html
| accessdate = March 7, 2008}} During this tenure, he became the first mayor in his state to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and presided over the development of Tucson's solar energy capability. Although his proposal of a transportation tax was defeated at the ballot box, this paved the way for a similar tax of half a cent across Pima County that was approved by voters in 2006. He introduced fees for waste collection and for development impact, and shifted the library system to the county.{{cite news|title=Former Mayor Bob Walkup Dies at 84: "Always Strived To Create the Best Tucson Possible"|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2021/03/14/former-tucson-mayor-bob-walkup-dies-after-battle-lung-disease/4683360001/|first= Jim|last=Nintzel|date=March 13, 2021|access-date=March 13, 2021|newspaper=Tucson Weekly}} He was partly responsible for amalgamating the economic development agencies into a single regional organization in 2005. He was re-elected for a third term on November 6, 2007, defeating a Green Party candidate with 72% of the vote{{cite news
| title = 2007 election results summary
| work = USA Today
|date= November 7, 2007
| url = https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2007-11-06-2007-results_N.htm
| accessdate = March 7, 2008}} after the Democrats opted not to field a candidate.{{cite news
| title = Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup seen as likely to win third term
| first = Arthur H.
| last = Rotstein
| work = Fox11AZ.com
| date = October 29, 2007
| url = http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/kmsb-20071029-apjc-thirdterm.1baaba3e2.html
| accessdate = March 7, 2008
| url-status = dead
| archiveurl = https://archive.today/20070630020119/http://www.fox11az.com/news/topstories/stories/kmsb-20071029-apjc-thirdterm.1baaba3e2.html
| archivedate = June 30, 2007
}}
Walkup announced on February 22, 2011 that he would not seek re-election after his current term ended in December.{{cite news|title= Pueblo Politics: Walkup won't seek re-election |url=http://azstarnet.com/news/blogs/pueblo-politics/article_fbf1672a-3eb0-11e0-af3a-001cc4c03286.html |first=Rhonda | last=Bodfield |work=Arizona Daily Star |date=February 22, 2011 |accessdate=February 22, 2011}} Democrat Jonathan Rothschild won the election and was sworn into office on December 5, 2011.{{cite news|first=Craig |last=Smith |title=New Tucson Mayor sworn in |url=http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/135067418.html |publisher=KGUN |date=December 6, 1999 |accessdate=February 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324145023/http://www.kgun9.com/news/local/135067418.html |archivedate=March 24, 2012 }}
Personal life
Walkup was married to his second wife, Beth LaRouche for over 30 years until his death. They met while working at the Children’s Museum Tucson, and had five children.
Walkup died on the night of March 12, 2021, at his home in midtown Tucson. He was 84, and had idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.{{cite news|title=Former Tucson Mayor Robert 'Bob' Walkup dies at 84|url=https://apnews.com/article/tucson-83fb7a2a5c1780d5e8302aaa51e1a75d|date=March 13, 2021|access-date=March 13, 2021|work=Associated Press}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060518051228/http://www.tucsonaz.gov/mayor.html Tucson Mayor's official website]; Mayor Jonathan Rothschild a/o 2012-09-16.
- [http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/search?qu=walkup&submit.x=30&submit.y=10 "Walkup" search of Tucson city website]; 167 mentions a/o 2012-09-16.
{{TucsonMayors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walkup, Bob}}
Category:20th-century American engineers
Category:20th-century mayors of places in Arizona
Category:21st-century mayors of places in Arizona
Category:American aerospace engineers
Category:Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis
Category:Iowa State University alumni
Category:Mayors of Tucson, Arizona
Category:Military personnel from Iowa