George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was chairman of the American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962 and was elected three times as the Republican Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. He was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968, losing to Richard Nixon. He is also the father of Republican Presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, concerned with The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... Robert Coldwell Wood (September 16, 1923 – April 1, 2005) was a U.S. administrator. ... James Thomas Lynn (born 1927) was a U.S. administrator. ... Michigan Governors Territorial Governors State Governors From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 22 is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... John Burley Swainson (July 31, 1925–May 13, 1994) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... William Grawn Milliken (born March 26, 1922), is an American politician and served as the moderate Republican governor of Michigan from January 1969 to January 1983. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Chihuahua (disambiguation). ... July 26 is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... July 26 is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Main article: United States presidential election, 2008 This article lists official and potential Republican candidates for the President of the United States in the election of 2008. ... The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ... Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947, better known as Mitt Romney), was the 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ...

Background

Romney was born on Colonia Dublán, Galeana, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua to Gaskell Romney (1871-1955), born of English grandparents, and wife Anna Amelia Pratt (1876-1926), born to an American father and a German mother. Romney's grandparents were polygamous Mormons who fled the United States because the federal government was hunting down polygamists.^[1] Anna's father Helaman Pratt was the son of early Mormon apostle Parley P. Pratt. Helaman had served as president of the Mexican mission in Mexico City before moving to Chihuahua State, and George's uncle Rey L. Pratt would be president of the Mexican mission, president in exile, during the Mexican Revolution and on into the 1930s. When the Mexican Revolution broke out in late 1910, Romney's family went to Oakley, Idaho, and finally ending up in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Some would later ask questions about Romney being eligible for the presidency as a natural-born citizen when his birth was actually in Mexico.) Romney's parents married in 1895; they had three older sons, Maurice, Douglas, and Miles, and a younger son, Lawrence. A view of a prominent mountain, El Pajarito, to the West of Dublán, is a sight those who have lived in Colonia Dublán will easily recognize. ... Galeana The municipality of Galeana in Mexican state of Nuevo León is named after Hermenegildo Galeana, a lieutenant involved in the countrys independence. ... The United Mexican States (Estados Unidos Mexicanos or Mexico) comprises 31 states (estados) and one federal district (Distrito Federal), which contains the capital, Mexico City. ... This article is about the state in Mexico; for the city of Chihuahua, see: Chihuahua. ... Languages English Religions Christianity (Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism and other minority denominations), and other faiths. ... Parley P. Pratt Statue of Parley P. Pratt facing Parleys Canyon at sunrise. ... Oakley is a city located in Cassia County, Idaho. ... Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. ... A natural-born citizen is a special term mentioned in the United States Constitution as a requirement for eligibility to serve as President or Vice President of the United States. ...

In 1926, Romney spent two years as a Mormon missionary in England and Scotland. It has been suggested that Senior Missionaries be merged into this article or section. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic) Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic and Scots1 Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Monarch Queen Elizabeth II...

Romney took coursework at the University of Utah and George Washington University, but never completed work on a college degree.^{[citation needed]} The University of Utah (also The U or the U of U or the UU) is a public university in Salt Lake City, Utah. ... The George Washington University (GW), is a private, coeducational university primarily located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1821 as the Columbian College by Baptist ministers using funds bequeathed by George Washington. ...

In the late 1920s, Romney followed his high school sweetheart, Lenore LaFount, to Washington, DC after her father had accepted a government position. Romney became a speechwriter for Massachusetts Democratic senator David I. Walsh, then moved on to become a lobbyist for Alcoa in 1930. When LaFount, an aspiring actress, began earning bit roles in Hollywood movies, Romney was able to be transferred out West to continue the relationship. When LaFount had the opportunity to sign a three-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, Romney convinced her to return to Washington, and married her on July 2, 1931 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They had four children: Lynn, Jane, G. Scott, and Mitt. Lenore LaFount Romney (November 9, 1908 – July 7, 1998) was a former First Lady of Michigan and a Michigan politician in her own right. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... David Ignatius Walsh (November 11, 1872 - June 11, 1947) was a United States politician from Massachusetts. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. ... G. Scott Romney is an American Republican politician and lawyer in the state of Michigan. ... Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (b. ...

Automobile industry

Romney on the cover of Time Magazine

After nine years with Alcoa, Romney's career had stagnated, so he moved to Detroit with his wife and their two daughters to become the local manager of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association (AAMA). During World War II, Romney headed the Automotive Council for War Production, which worked to optimize automotive companies' war production. Image File history File links George_W_Romney_TIME.jpg‎ George W. Romney on the cover of TIME magazine This image is a scan of a cover of an issue of TIME magazine, and the copyright for it is held by Time Warner, the parent company of TIME. It is believed that the... Image File history File links George_W_Romney_TIME.jpg‎ George W. Romney on the cover of TIME magazine This image is a scan of a cover of an issue of TIME magazine, and the copyright for it is held by Time Warner, the parent company of TIME. It is believed that the... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

He rose to managing director of the AAMA and became good friends with George W. Mason, then president of the organization. When Mason became chairman of the manufacturing firm Nash-Kelvinator Corporation in 1948, he invited Romney along "to learn the business from the ground up" as his roving assistant.^[2] As Mason's protégé, Romney worked up as an executive and played an important role in the development of the Rambler. Under the strategy of Mason, Nash-Kelvinator merged on May 1, 1954 with Hudson Motor Car to become the American Motors Corporation (AMC). Romney became Vice President at AMC. A short time later, Mason suddenly died of acute pancreatitis and pneumonia and Romney was named AMC's Chairman and CEO. George Walter Mason (b. ... Kelvinator Appliance ad from 1951 Nash-Kelvinator Corporation was the result of a merger between Nash Motors and Kelvinator Appliance Company. ... The original Rambler was an automobile produced of the Thomas B. Jeffery Company then by its successor, Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and finally, by its successor, American Motors Corporation (all in Kenosha, Wisconsin). ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hudson Six-40, 1914 1937 Hudson Custom Eight 1950 Hudson The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson brand automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, from 1909 to 1957. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. ... Pneumonia is an illness of the lungs and respiratory system in which the alveoli (microscopic air-filled sacs of the lung responsible for absorbing oxygen from the atmosphere) become inflamed and flooded with fluid. ...

Together with chief engineer Meade Moore, Romney elected to phase out the well-known but poor selling Nash and Hudson brands in favor of the Rambler nameplate, as part of a then-untried strategy of focusing on making compact cars exclusively, an approach that led to unexpected financial success for AMC. At the time of the decision, the company had been on the verge of being taken over by corporate raider Louis Wolfson, but the company's resurgence made Romney a household name, and he capitalized on it by entering politics. Also see: Kelvinator and American Motors Corporation Nash Motors was an automobile manufacturer based in Kenosha, Wisconsin in the United States from 1916 to 1938. ... Rambler logo, 1960s Rambler was an automobile brand name used by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914, then by its successor, Nash Motors in 1950, and finally by Nashs successor, American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1969. ... The Rambler American introduced in the late 1950s was an early compact car. ... Louis Elwood Wolfson (January 28, 1912 -) was a Wall Street financier. ...

At the same time he was serving as President of American Motors, Goerge Romney also presided over the Detroit Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which included not only all of Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, the Toledo area of Ohio but also the western edge of Ontario along the Michigan border.

Political career

He led the Constitutional Convention that revised Michigan's Constitution from 1961 to 1962 and followed this up with a successful 1962 campaign for Governor of Michigan. However, his running mate was defeated by the Democratic candidate and incumbent, Thaddeus Lesinski. Romney was a strong supporter of civil rights and was generally considered a moderate Republican, perhaps a bit to the right of Nelson Rockefeller, but well to the left of Barry Goldwater or Ronald Reagan. The Michigan Constitution is the governing document of the state of Michigan. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Thaddeus John T. John Lesinski, (April 28, 1925 - 1996), was politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (July 8, 1908 – January 26, 1979) was an American Vice President, governor of New York State, philanthropist and businessman. ... Barry Morris Goldwater (January 1, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–87) and the Republican Partys nominee for president in the 1964 election. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the fortieth President of the United States (1981 – 1989) and the thirty-third Governor of California (1967 – 1975). ...

After deciding to wait out the 1964 election, Romney announced he was a candidate for president in the 1968 election. Polls in 1967 showed him the leader among rank and file Republicans, especially among the "moderates." Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

The infamous 12th Street riot took place on July 23, 1967. It continued until July 29th and eventually escalated to the point where president Lyndon B. Johnson called in federal troops. It has been cited as one of the worst riots (history.com). The riot featured on the cover of the August 4, 1967 edition of Time magazine. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... “LBJ” redirects here. ...

On 31 August 1967, Governor Romney made a statement that ruined his chances for getting the nomination.^[3] In a taped interview with Lou Gordon of WKBD-TV in Detroit, Romney stated, "When I came back from Viet Nam [in November 1965], I'd just had the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get." He then shifted to opposing the war: "I no longer believe that it was necessary for us to get involved in South Vietnam to stop Communist aggression in Southeast Asia," he declared. Decrying the "tragic" conflict, he urged "a sound peace in South Vietnam at an early time." Thus Romney disavowed the war and reversed himself from his earlier stated belief that the war was "morally right and necessary." The connotations of brainwashing following the experiences of the American prisoners of war (highlighted by the 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate) made Romney's comments devastating to his status as the GOP front-runner. Republican Congressman Robert Stafford of Vermont sounded a common concern: "If you're running for the presidency," he asserted, "you are supposed to have too much on the ball to be brainwashed."^[3] Romney announced on 18 November 1967, that he had "decided to fight for and win the Republican nomination and election to the Presidency of the United States." He announced his withdrawal as a presidential candidate on 28 February 1968. At his party's national convention in Miami Beach, Romney finished a weak sixth with only fifty votes on the first ballot (44 of Michigan's 48, plus six from Utah). WKBD-TV, channel 50, is an owned-and-operated station of the CW television network, based in Detroit, Michigan. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Manchurian Candidate is a film adapted from the 1959 thriller novel written by Richard Condon. ...

Following Nixon's election, Romney was named to the cabinet as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD. He served in that office until the beginning of Nixon's second term in January 1973. During his four years at HUD, Romney slightly increased the amount of federally subsidized housing, but was prevented from expanding the concept to suburban areas. The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, concerned with The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, often abbreviated HUD, is a Cabinet department of the United States government. ...

Public service

Romney was known as an advocate of public service. At the first meeting of the National Center for Voluntary Action (NCVA), February 20, 1970, he said: February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Americans have four basic ways of solving problems that are too big for individuals to handle by themselves. One is through the federal government. A second is through state governments and the local governments that the states create. The third is through the private sector - the economic sector that includes business, agriculture, and labor. The fourth method is the independent sector - the voluntary, cooperative action of free individuals and independent association. Voluntary action is the most powerful of these, because it is uniquely capable of stirring the people themselves and involving their enthusiastic energies, because it is their own - voluntary action is the people's action. As Woodrow Wilson said, "The most powerful force on earth is the spontaneous cooperation of a free people." Individualism makes cooperation worthwhile - but cooperation makes freedom possible.

The George W. Romney Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University honors the legacy left by Romney.

Retirement

For much of the next two decades, he was out of the public eye, but re-emerged in 1994 when he helped campaign for his son, Mitt Romney, during the younger Romney's unsuccessful bid to unseat Senator Edward M. Kennedy in Massachusetts. Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947, better known as Mitt Romney), was the 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ... Edward Kennedy Edward Moore Ted Kennedy, (born February 22, 1932, in Brookline, Massachusetts) is a Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts. ...

That same year, Romney's ex-daughter-in-law, Ronna Romney, decided to seek the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate from Michigan while continuing to use her married name. (She was formerly married to the governor's other son, G. Scott Romney.) The former governor showed his displeasure by endorsing her opponent, Spencer Abraham, who went on to win the primary and the general election. G. Scott Romney is an American Republican politician and lawyer in the state of Michigan. ... Edward Spencer Abraham (born June 12, 1952 in East Lansing, Michigan) is an American politician, of Lebanese Christian extraction. ...

The following year, Romney died of a heart attack at the age of 88, while exercising on his treadmill in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and was buried at the Fairview Cemetery, Brighton, Michigan. Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... Bloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Brighton is a city in Livingston County, the fastest growing county in the U.S. state of Michigan. ...

Romney served as a patriarch for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until his death. The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ...

The building housing the Michigan governor's main office in Lansing, Michigan is known as the George W. Romney Building.

See also

• Pratt-Romney family

The Pratt-Romney Family is the name of a U.S. political family. ...

References

• D. Duane Angel, Romney: A Political Biography (1967)
• Hess, Stephen and David S. Broder. The Republican Establishment: The Present and Future of the G.O.P. New York : Harper & Row, 1967.
• T. George Harris, Romney's Way: A Man and an Idea (1967)
• Clark R. Mollenhoff, George Romney: Mormon in Politics (1968)
• George W. Romney, Shirtsleeve Public Servant

February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

External links

• George W. Romney Institute of Public Management
• Boston Globe Magazine, Lessons of the Father