Thomas P. Salmon

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Thomas Salmon

|image = Thomas P. Salmon.jpg

|caption = Salmon in 1975

|order1 = 75th Governor of Vermont

|lieutenant1 = John S. Burgess
Brian D. Burns

|term_start1 = January 4, 1973

|term_end1 = January 6, 1977

|predecessor1 = Deane C. Davis

|successor1 = Richard A. Snelling

|office2 = Minority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives

|term_start2 = January 8, 1969

|term_end2 = January 5, 1971

|predecessor2 = Leo O'Brien

|successor2 = Thomas Candon

|office3 = Member of the Vermont House of Representatives

|term_start3 = January 6, 1965

|term_end3 = January 5, 1971

|predecessor3 = Clarence Coleman (Rockingham)

|successor3 = Maurice Stack
Randolph Major (13-1 district)

|birth_name = Thomas Paul Salmon

|birth_date = {{birth date|1932|8|19}}

|birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|2025|1|14|1932|8|19}}

|death_place = Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S.

|party = Democratic

|spouse = {{marriage|Madge Savaria|1958|1983|end=div}}
{{marriage|Susan Bisson|1984}}

|children = 4 (including Tom)

|education = Boston College (BA, JD)
New York University (LLM)

}}

Thomas Paul Salmon (August 19, 1932 – January 14, 2025) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as the 75th governor of Vermont from 1973 to 1977.

Early life

Thomas P. Salmon was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 19, 1932, the son of Thomas A. Salmon and Lucy M. (Conlon) Salmon.{{cite book |author=U.S. Senate Committee On Commerce, Science, and Transportation |date=1979 |title=Nominations to the Railroad Passenger Corporation and United States Railway Corporation: Biographical Sketch of Thomas P. Salmon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aix-4OpGbUIC&pg=PA6 |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=US Government Printing Office |pages=6–7 |via=Google Books}}{{cite news |date=17 July 1995 |title=Obituary, Lucy M. (Conlon) Salmon |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-obituary-for-l/163133144/ |work=The Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, Vermont |page=2B |via=Newspapers.com}} He was raised in Stow, Massachusetts, attended Stow High School, and graduated in 1950 from Hudson High School in Hudson, Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree in history and government from Boston College in 1954, and earned a J.D. from Boston College Law School in 1957. He earned an LL.M. degree in taxation from New York University Law School in 1958.{{cite web |title=Thomas P. Salmon |url=https://www.nga.org/governor/thomas-p-salmon/ |access-date=16 November 2012 |publisher=National Governors Association}} After admission to the bar, he settled in Rockingham, Vermont, where he practiced law as a partner in the firm of Salmon and Nostrand.

Salmon was active in the Catholic church{{cite book |last=Hand |first=Samuel B. |date=2002 |title=The Star That Set: The Vermont Republican Party, 1854-1974 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ONLUwZ2Z0JsC&pg=PA287 |location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=Lexington Books |page=287 |isbn=978-0-7391-0600-6 |via=Google Books}} and belonged to the Knights of Columbus. His other memberships included the American Bar Association, Vermont Bar Association, and Windham County Bar Association. His fraternal memberships included the Elks and Moose. Among Salmon's civic affiliations were Historic Windsor, Inc., Bellows Falls Area Development Corporation, Green Mountain Council of Boy Scouts of America, Northeast Economic Action Council, and Rotary Club. He was a member of the Rockingham, Vermont and served as chairman of the Windham County Democratic Committee.

=Family=

In August 1958, Salmon married Madeleine Gabrielle Savaria.{{cite news |date=August 14, 1958 |title=Miss Savaria Lists Guests For Wedding |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-republican-marriage-of-savaria-sal/163132833/ |work=The Springfield Daily News |location=Springfield, Massachusetts |page=24 |via=Newspapers.com}} They were the parents of four children: Anne Marie, Marguerite, Thomas M., and Caroline. Thomas M. Salmon served as Vermont State Auditor from 2007 to 2013.{{cite news |last= McQuiston |first=Timothy |date= 18 May 2012 |title=Vermont Auditor Tom Salmon will not run for re-election |url=https://vermontbiz.com/news/2012/may/18/vermont-auditor-tom-salmon-will-not-run-re-election |work=Vermont Biz.com |location=South Burlington, Vermont |access-date=15 January 2025}} Thomas and Madeleine Salmon divorced in 1983,{{cite web |date=1983 |title=Vermont Divorce Index, 1925-2003, Entry for Thomas P. Salmon and Madeleine G. Savaria |url=https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/29775342?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22735063556466727972553451524c615a4c3370336f65666d633065303832636537505871334646526354303d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d |website=Ancestry.com |location=Lehi, Utah |publisher=Ancestry.com, LLC |access-date=15 January 2024 |url-access=subscription}} and in 1984 he married Susan June Bisson.{{cite news |date=September 4, 1984 |title=Marriage: Thomas P. Salmon and Susan J. Bisson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brattleboro-reformer-marriage-of-sal/163133480/ |work=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, Vermont |page=22 |via=Newspapers.com}}

Career

In 1960, Salmon became town counsel for Rockingham, Vermont, and he served until 1972.{{cite news |date=25 August 1960 |title=Salmon to Open Office |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brattleboro-reformer-salmon/163134776/ |work=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, Vermont |page=14 |via=Newspapers.com}} From 1963 to 1965, he served as judge of the Bellows Falls municipal court.{{cite book |author-last1=Miller |author-first1=H. Nicholas III |author-last2=Feeney |author-first2=Vince |editor-last1=Duffy |editor-first1=John J. |editor-last2=Hand |editor-first2=Samuel B. |editor-last3=Orth |editor-first3=Ralph H. |date=2003 |title=The Vermont Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uTBCXqOou0YC&pg=PA260 |location=Hanover, New Hampshire |publisher=University Press of New England |pages=260–261 |isbn=978-1-5846-5086-7 |via=Google Books}} He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Rockingham in 1965, and from District 13-1 for 1966, from 1967 to 1968 and from 1969 to 1971. During his last term, he was House Minority Leader. In 1970, he was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for Vermont Attorney General.

=Governor=

In 1972, Salmon won an upset victory in the election for governor; he entered the race only a month before the September primary and only three months before the general election.{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Kevin |date=August 19, 2022 |title=50 years later, Tom Salmon revisits 'the biggest political upset in Vermont history' |url=https://vtdigger.org/2022/08/19/50-years-later-tom-salmon-revisits-the-biggest-political-upset-in-vermont-history/ |access-date=August 21, 2022 |website=VTDigger}} During the campaign, Salmon capitalized on the widespread perception that out-of-state investors were overdeveloping the state's land with the slogan "Vermont Is Not For Sale."{{cite news |last= McQuiston |first=Timothy |date=15 January 2025 |title=Tom Salmon: 'Vermont is not for sale' |url=https://vermontbiz.com/news/2025/january/15/tom-salmon-vermont-not-sale |work=Vermont Biz.com |location=South Burlington, Vermont}} Republicans won every other statewide office, but Salmon convincingly won the governorship. In office, he shepherded passage of a land gains tax that was credited with slowing land speculation in Vermont. He won reelection in 1974, chaired the New England Governors' Conference for two years, and was a member of the National Governors Association's Executive Committee. Salmon was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senator from Vermont in the 1976 election, losing to the incumbent Robert Stafford.

=Later career=

After leaving office, Salmon resumed practicing law. In 1991, Salmon was appointed interim president of the University of Vermont and served as the university's permanent president from 1993 to 1998. Upon retiring from UVM, he practiced law in Bellows Falls, Vermont. He also served as chairman of the board for Green Mountain Power from 1983 to 2002.[https://www.salmon-nostrand.com/THOMAS%20P.htm Thomas P. Salmon-Of Counsel-Salmon Nostrand]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509112236/http://www.salmon-nostrand.com/THOMAS%20P.htm|date=May 9, 2015}}.

Salmon died in Brattleboro, Vermont, on January 14, 2025.{{Cite web |last=O'Connor |first=Kevin |date=January 15, 2025 |title=Tom Salmon, governor behind 'the biggest political upset in Vermont history,' dies at 92 |url=https://vtdigger.org/2025/01/14/tom-salmon-governor-behind-the-biggest-political-upset-in-vermont-history-dies-at-92/ |location=Montpelier, Vermont |access-date=January 15, 2025 |website=VTDigger}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060929181452/http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/multimedia/radio/golden-dome/bios/salmon.htm Thomas P. Salmon] at Vermont Folk Life Center
[https://www.nga.org/governor/thomas-p-salmon/ Thomas P. Salmon] at National Governors Association
[https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/salmon.html#877.85.96 Thomas P. Salmon] at The Political Graveyard

{{s-ttl|title=Minority Leader of the Vermont House of Representatives|years=1969–1971}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Vermont|years=1970}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Governor of Vermont|years=1972, 1974}}

{{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Vermont
(Class 1)|years=1976}}