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

Thomas P. Salmon
Salmon in 1975
75th Governor of Vermont
In office
January 4, 1973 – January 6, 1977
LieutenantJohn S. Burgess
Brian D. Burns
Preceded byDeane C. Davis
Succeeded byRichard A. Snelling
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Rockingham
In office
January 1965 – January 1971
Member of the Rockingham Town Council
In office
1959–1972
Personal details
Born
Thomas Paul Salmon

(1932-08-19) August 19, 1932 (age 92)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Madge Savaria
(m. 1958; div. 1983)

Susan June Bisson
(m. 1984)
Children4
EducationBoston College (BA, JD)
New York University (LLM)

Biography

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Salmon was born in Cleveland, Ohio, raised in Stow, Massachusetts, and attended Hudson High School in Hudson, Massachusetts. He earned his undergraduate degree 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.[1] He married Madeleine G. Savaria and they had four children. His son, Thomas M. Salmon served as State Auditor of Vermont from 2007 to 2013, and switched his political affiliation to Republican in 2009.

Career

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In 1959, Salmon was elected as Town Councilor for Rockingham, Vermont, serving until 1972. From 1963 to 1965, he served as a municipal court judge in Bellows Falls, Vermont, a village within the town of Rockingham. 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 1970.[2] He served one year as House Minority Leader.

Governor of Vermont 1973-1977

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In 1972, Salmon won a surprise election for governor, only entering the race 3 months before the general election.[3] As Governor of Vermont from 1973 to 1977, Salmon chaired the New England Governors' Conference for two years and was a member of the National Governors Association's Executive Committee. He was an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senator from Vermont in the 1976 election, losing to the incumbent Robert Stafford.[1]

Later career

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In 1991, Salmon was appointed interim president of the University of Vermont and served as the university's permanent president from 1993 to 1998.[2] Since retiring from UVM, he has practiced law in Bellows Falls, Vermont. He also served as chairman of the board for Green Mountain Power from 1983 to 2002.[4]

Salmon is a Catholic; and a member of several organization including the Elks, Moose, Knights of Columbus, Jaycees, Rotary, and the American Bar Association.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Thomas P. Salmon". National Governors Association. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Thomas P. Salmon". Soylent Communications. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  3. ^ "50 years later, Tom Salmon revisits 'the biggest political upset in Vermont history'". VTDigger. 2022-08-19. Retrieved 2022-08-21.
  4. ^ Thomas P. Salmon-Of Counsel-Salmon Nostrand Archived 2015-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Thomas P. Salmon". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
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Party political offices
Preceded by
Thomas P. Whalen
Democratic nominee for Vermont Attorney General
1970
Succeeded by
Richard Gadbois
Preceded by
Leo O'Brien Jr.
Democratic nominee for Governor of Vermont
1972, 1974
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Randolph Major
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Vermont
(Class 1)

1976
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Vermont
1973–1977
Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Senator Order of precedence of the United States
Within Vermont
Succeeded byas Former Governor
Preceded byas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Vermont