Jim Geringer
{{short description|30th Governor of Wyoming}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jim Geringer
| image = Jim Geringer - TEDx Oil Spill - Washington, DC.jpg
| caption = Geringer in 2010
| office1 = 30th Governor of Wyoming
| term_start1 = January 2, 1995
| term_end1 = January 6, 2003
| predecessor1 = Mike Sullivan
| successor1 = Dave Freudenthal
| office2 = Member of the Wyoming Senate
| term_start2 = 1989
| term_end2 = 1995
| constituency2 = Platte County (1989-1992)
3rd district (1993-1995)
| successor2 = Curt Meier
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1944|4|24}}
| birth_place = Wheatland, Wyoming, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| spouse = {{marriage|Sharyn Geringer|1967}}
| children = 5
| education = Kansas State University (BS)
| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
| branch = {{air force|United States}}
| serviceyears = 1967–1991
| unit = United States Air Force Reserve
}}
James Edward Geringer{{Cite web |url=http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/pdf/GeringerTranscript.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-01-17 |archive-date=2014-10-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027230538/http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/pdf/GeringerTranscript.pdf |url-status=dead }} (born April 24, 1944) is an American politician who was the 30th governor of Wyoming, serving from 1995 to 2003.
Early life and education
Geringer was born and raised on a farm in Wheatland, Wyoming. His father, Gottlieb Geringer, was a Volga German from Lauwe (now Yablonovka, Saratov Oblast) in the Russian Empire, and his mother, Edla Malin (née Johnson), was of Swedish descent. He attended Kansas State University and was a member of Triangle Fraternity, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. He served for ten years in the United States Air Force before retiring. He briefly worked at a power generating station in Wheatland before purchasing a farm.
Politics
In 1982, Geringer successfully ran as a Republican for a seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives. After serving there for six years, he won the Platte County seat in the Wyoming Senate in 1988.{{Cite news |date=November 11, 1988|title=Platte|page=11|work=Casper Star-Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune-platte/158663085/|via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 8, 2024}} After the state legislature switched from a county-based apportionment system to a district based apportionment system, in 1992, Geringer was elected to represent the 3rd senate district.{{Cite news |date=November 5, 1992|title=Election Results: State Senate|page=13|work=Casper Star-Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/casper-star-tribune/81352447/|via=Newspapers.com |access-date=November 8, 2024}}{{cite web |title=Wyoming Legislator Database|url=https://www.wyoleg.gov/Legislators/historical |website=Wyoming Legislature |accessdate=November 8, 2024}} In 1994, Geringer was elected as Wyoming's governor.
Geringer was generally a conservative throughout his political career. As governor, he helped pass laws that regulated class action lawsuits, reformed bankruptcy laws, toughened crime laws, legalized charter schools, and lowered taxes. However, he broke with the Republican Party in supporting environmental rulings and the Equal Rights Amendment.
In 1997, Governor Geringer called for a boycott of America Online after Sondra London posted a series of murder confessions sent to her from "Happy Face Killer" Keith Jesperson, protesting that he found the items to be offensive.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/1997/09/aol-to-take-down-serial-killer-site/|title=AOL to Take Down Serial-Killer Site|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en-US}} Although London voluntarily removed the pages in question, AOL banned her from the AOL domain, which in turn prompted an outpouring of support from all over the World Wide Web, including multiple offers of free server space.
After serving as governor, he joined Redlands, California based ESRI as director of policy and public sector strategies.
Geringer is one of the founding governors of Western Governors University (WGU) and is currently chairman of the WGU Board of Trustees.[http://wgu.edu/wgu/bot.asp Board of Trustees] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410154110/http://www.wgu.edu/wgu/bot.asp|date=2008-04-10}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20110604000459/http://wyoarchives.state.wy.us/Research/Governors/Governor.asp?gov=38&criteria=gov&x=13&y=5 Wyoming State Archives]
- {{C-SPAN|42511}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=Mary Mead}}
{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of Wyoming|years=1994, 1998}}
{{s-aft|after=Eli Bebout}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Mike Sullivan}}
{{s-ttl|title=Governor of Wyoming|years=1995–2003}}
{{s-aft|after=Dave Freudenthal}}
|-
{{s-prec|usa}}
{{s-bef|before=Mike Sullivan|as=Former Governor}}
{{s-ttl|title=Order of precedence of the United States|years=}}
{{s-aft|after=Dave Freudenthal|as=Former Governor}}
{{s-end}}
{{Governors of Wyoming}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geringer, Jim}}
Category:21st-century Wyoming politicians
Category:American people of German-Russian descent
Category:American people of Swedish descent
Category:Republican Party governors of Wyoming
Category:Kansas State University alumni
Category:Republican Party members of the Wyoming House of Representatives
Category:People from Wheatland, Wyoming
Category:United States Air Force officers
Category:Western Governors University people