Stan Stephens

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Stan Stephens

|image = file:Montana_governor_Stan_Stephens.jpeg

|order = 20th Governor of Montana

|lieutenant = Allen Kolstad
Denny Rehberg

|term_start = January 2, 1989

|term_end = January 4, 1993

|predecessor = Ted Schwinden

|successor = Marc Racicot

|office1 = President of the Montana Senate

|term_start1 = 1983

|term_end1 = 1985

|predecessor1 = Jean Turnage

|successor1 = Bill Norman

|birth_name = Stanley Graham Stephens

|birth_date = {{birth date|1929|9|16}}

|birth_place = Calgary, Alberta, Canada

|death_date = {{death date and age|2021|4|3|1929|9|16}}

|death_place = Kalispell, Montana, U.S.

|party = Republican

|spouse = Ann Hanson

}}

Stanley Graham Stephens (September 16, 1929 – April 3, 2021){{cite web|url=https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Former-Montana-Gov-Stan-Stephens-dies-at-91-16078092.php|title=Former Montana Gov. Stan Stephens dies at 91|work=Connecticut Post|date=5 April 2021|access-date=5 April 2021}} was a Canadian-American politician, journalist, and broadcaster who served as the 20th Governor of Montana from 1989 until 1993 as a member of the Republican Party.{{ cite web | url=http://www.netstate.com/states/government/mt_formergov.htm | title=Former State Governors | publisher=www.netstate.com | accessdate=October 8, 2013}}

Biography

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1929, Stephens was educated in public schools, but dropped out of high school. He moved to Montana when he was nineteen.{{cite web|title=Stan Stephens|url=https://www.nga.org/governor/stan-stephens/|publisher=National Governors Association|accessdate=27 August 2012}} He married Ann Hanson and the couple had two children.

Career

Stephens' 38-year career in broadcasting included his being drafted into service with the U.S. Armed Forces Broadcast Network during the Korean War. Stephens and Lyle Leeds, co-owners of KOJM Radio, in Havre, Montana, from 1953 to 1985, guided the station to a policy of fund-raisers and free air time to individuals to speak on issues. Developing the art of radio editorials, in 1975, Stephens earned the Edward R. Murrow award for journalistic excellence in editorials for uncovering a scandal in the Montana Workers' Compensation Program.{{cite web|title=Stan Stephens|url=http://www.mtbroadcasters.org/hall-of-fame/stanley-graham-stephens/|publisher=Montana Broadcasters Association|access-date=14 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909023545/http://www.mtbroadcasters.org/hall-of-fame/stanley-graham-stephens/|archive-date=9 September 2011|df=}}

Stephens began his political career in 1969 with his election to the Montana State Senate and in his 16-year tenure, he served as floor whip, majority leader, and senate president. In 1986 Stephens was recognized by the National Republican Legislators' Association as one of the country's ten most outstanding state lawmakers.

In 1988, when incumbent Governor of Montana Ted Schwinden declined to seek re-election to a third term, Stephens ran to succeed him. He narrowly won the Republican primary, and, in the general election, defeated former Governor Thomas Lee Judge by a slim margin. During his tenure as governor, he served on the White House Advisory Council on Intergovernmental Affairs, and he oversaw the 1989 Montana Statehood Centennial celebration.{{cite web|title=Stan Stephens|url=http://governor.mt.gov/formergov/|publisher=Montana Historical Society|access-date=27 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820121916/http://governor.mt.gov/formergov/|archive-date=20 August 2012|df=}} He declined to seek re-election in 1992, and was succeeded by Marc Racicot.

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20110909023545/http://www.mtbroadcasters.org/hall-of-fame/stanley-graham-stephens/ Montana Broadcasters Association]
[https://www.nga.org/governor/stan-stephens/ National Governors Association]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120820121916/http://governor.mt.gov/formergov/ Montana Historical Society]
[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/stephens.html The Political Graveyard]
{{C-SPAN|6145}}

{{s-ttl|title=Republican nominee for Governor of Montana|years=1988}}