Steve Cowper
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (May 2014) |
Steve Cowper | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Governor of Alaska | |
| In office December 1, 1986 – December 3, 1990 | |
| Lieutenant | Steve McAlpine |
| Preceded by | Bill Sheffield |
| Succeeded by | Wally Hickel |
| Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 20th district | |
| In office January 20, 1975 – January 14, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Multi-member district |
| Succeeded by | Multi-member district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stephen Cambreleng Cowper August 21, 1938 Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | First wife (divorced) Margaret Stewart (1985–1991) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BA, LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Unit | Army Medical Corps United States Army Reserve |
Stephen Cambreleng Cowper (born August 21, 1938) is an American Democratic politician who was the sixth governor of Alaska from 1986–90. He was governor during the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Cowper is the CEO of Steve Cowper & Associates. He has also served on the boards of multiple energy-related companies in the US and Canada.
Early life and career[]
Cowper was born in 1938 in Petersburg, Virginia, to Stephanie (née Smith) and Marion Cowper. He was raised in Kinston, North Carolina. He received bachelor's and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and after serving in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and Army Reserve, he worked as a maritime lawyer in Norfolk, Virginia, for three years.[1] Cowper moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1968 and served as assistant district attorney for rural Alaska and Fairbanks.[1]
In 1970, Cowper went to Vietnam and worked as a freelance correspondent throughout Asia. Upon returning to Alaska, he wrote a political column for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, taught a college course on Alaska lands, was a partner in an air taxi and cargo business, and worked as a diver for a University of Alaska[clarification needed] marine research team.[1]
Political career[]
In 1974, Cowper was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives, where he served two terms.[2] During his time in the House, he served as chairman of the Finance Committee (1977–1978), chairman of the Steering Council on Alaska Lands (1978), a member of the Subsistence Committee (1977–1978), and a member of the Alaska Advisory Committee for the Law of the Sea Conference (1978). In 1982, Cowper ran for governor, but narrowly lost the Democratic nomination to Bill Sheffield, who went on to win the general election.[2]
Governor of Alaska (1986–1990)[]
Cowper ran for governor again in 1986, and defeated incumbent Sheffield in the August 26 primary by a 2–1 margin.[2] He eventually won the November 4 general election, winning 47% of the vote against Republican Arliss Sturgulewski and Alaskan Independence Party candidate Joe Vogler.[2]
Once in office, Cowper proposed reestablishing the state income tax to help close the state's billion-dollar deficit; this proposal was met with strong opposition. He advocated the expansion of the University of Alaska's international study program, hoped to establish an International Trade Center, and placed emphasis on the teaching of foreign languages and culture in state schools. In early 1989, he announced that he would not seek reelection in 1990, a decision considered a surprise by some observers.[2]
Post-governorship[]
After serving as governor, Cowper served as a visiting fellow at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in 1991, and was a Co-Chairman of the Pacific Rim Fisheries Conference in 1994 and 1997.[3]
Since 1991, he has been the CEO of Steve Cowper & Associates, a group that advises companies and governments on energy-related initiatives. He has also served on the boards of multiple energy-related companies in the US and Canada. As of 2010, Cowper lived in Austin, Texas with his third wife and family.[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Alaska Governor Steve Cowper". nga.org. National Governors Association. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Marie Marmo Mullaney. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1988-1994, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994. p. 13.
- ^ "Former Alaska Gov Steve Cowper joins Knowledge Ops as Senior Fellow for Government Affairs". ogfj.com. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
External links[]
Media related to Steve Cowper at Wikimedia Commons- Steve Cowper at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
- Appearances on C-SPAN
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- 1938 births
- Alaska Democrats
- Alaska lawyers
- American Episcopalians
- Democratic Party state governors of the United States
- Exxon Valdez oil spill
- Governors of Alaska
- Lawyers from Fairbanks, Alaska
- Living people
- Members of the Alaska House of Representatives
- Military personnel from Fairbanks, Alaska
- Military personnel from Virginia
- Politicians from Fairbanks, Alaska
- Politicians from Petersburg, Virginia
- University of North Carolina School of Law alumni
- Virginia lawyers