Walter W. Bacon

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Walter W. Bacon bigraphy, stories - American politician

Walter W. Bacon : biography

January 20, 1880 – March 18, 1962

Walter Wolfkiel Bacon (January 20, 1880 – March 18, 1962) was an American accountant and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party who served three terms as Mayor of Wilmington and two terms as Governor of Delaware. He is the only mayor of a Delaware city to have been elected Governor of Delaware.

Governor of Delaware

Running for Governor of Delaware in 1940, he defeated State Democratic Party Chairman Josiah Marvel, Jr., the Democratic Party candidate, and became the only Republican Party candidate elected to statewide office that year. He was elected again in 1944 when he defeated Isaac J. MacCollum, the Democratic Party candidate.

Bacon’s terms as governor were marked primarily by the events of World War II and its aftermath. Thirty-three thousand Delaware citizens served in the Armed Forces in that war, and nearly 800 died. Two were awarded the Medal of Honor: Sergeant William L. Nelson of Middletown, and Sergeant James P. Connor of Wilmington. Air bases at New Castle and Dover were taken over by the U.S. Army and became major points of re-entry for returning soldiers when the war was over. Fort du Pont at Delaware City and Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen became major military installations protecting the shipping routes into the Delaware River. U-boats constantly menaced the coast from the near Atlantic, and because gas and other consumer products were mostly transported by ship, the many sinkings caused them to become very scarce. Two things not lacking were vegetables and broiler chickens. They became known as "Victory gardens," producing vegetables grew all over Delaware, and the Sussex County chicken business thrived. In fact, federal price controls created such a black market in broilers that led the army to eventually seal off the Delmarva peninsula and seize the chickens to assure an adequate supply to the military.

Through all this, Bacon steadily administered the state government. He was reputed to have been the first governor to work regular 8:30-to-5:00 hours. He managed a budget of about $13 million and nothing made him prouder than the doubling of the state’s cash balance during his tenure. Social changes increasingly challenged the old fashioned "blue laws." When the General Assembly demonstrated reluctance to revise them, the State Attorney General, James R. Morford, ordered some 500 people across the state arrested for various Sabbath offenses. After the arrestees’ names appeared in local newspapers, the laws began to change.

Delaware General Assembly (sessions while Governor)
Year Assembly Senate Majority Presidentpro tempore House Majority Speaker
1941-1942 111th Republican Harold W. T. Purnell Republican George W. Rhodes
1943-1944 112th Republican Clayton A. Bunting Republican Benjamin F. Johnson
1945-1946 113th Republican Harry H. Mulholland Republican Chester V. Townsend, Jr.
1947-1948 114th Republican George W. Rhodes Republican William T. Chipman

Notes

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday of January, and has a four-year term.

Public Offices
Office Type Location Began office Ended office notes
Mayor Executive Wilmington January 19, 1936 January 15, 1938
Mayor Executive Wilmington January 19, 1938 January 15, 1940
Mayor Executive Wilmington January 19, 1940 January 21, 1941 resigned
Governor Executive Dover January 21, 1941 January 19, 1945
Governor Executive Dover January 19, 1945 January 18, 1949