SALT LAKE CITY - Calvin L. Rampton, a popular three-term Democratic governor of Utah, died Sunday night.Gov. Rampton was first elected in 1964 and is the only Utah governor to serve three full terms. He was governor from 1965 to 1977.
A moderate Democrat and astute politician, he easily fit the centrist mold of Utah politics and was elected each time by overwhelming majorities. He probably could have won a fourth term. Instead, he returned to private law practice and hand-picked the Democratic candidate, Scott M. Matheson, to succeed him. Even though Utahns that year voted overwhelmingly for Republicans Gerald Ford for president and Orrin Hatch for U.S. senator, Matheson won.
“It’s hard to overstate the impact Gov. Rampton had on Utah,” said Wayne Holland, chair of the Utah Democratic Party. “He was a visionary and an effective governor whose legacy has made life better for all Utahns.”
Rampton was considered an underdog, perhaps even a sacrificial lamb in 1964, running against Republican Mitchell Melich. But Barry Goldwater and his brand of radical Republicanism led the GOP to defeat that year in Utah as well as in the rest of the nation. Once in office he became one of the most popular governors in the state’s history.
As a Democrat during the height of the Vietnam War, he had a knack for bringing people together. His pro-business/development philosophy allowed him to become the consensus candidate of Utah’s business and political establishment.
“The governor was adamantly outspoken against today’s style of slash and burn politics,” said Holland. “I remember one conversation I had with him recently. He made it crystal clear that the Democrats should campaign with integrity. Win or lose personal integrity should never be sacrificed.”
Gov. Rampton worked closely with business leaders and pushed industrial development, tourism, development of energy resources, and expansion of the defense industry in Utah. He also established the “Little Hoover Commission” to recommend ways of restructuring and reorganizing state government, established the Utah Police Training Academy, and created the Governor’s Conference on the Arts. While in office, he was chair of the National Governor’s Conference, 1974-75; president of the Council of State Governments, 1974-75; chair of the Western Governor’s Conference, 1969-70; and co-chair of the Four Corners Regional Commission, 1971.
According to a recent profile published by The Deseret Morning News, Gov. Rampton launched the state’s first Olympic bid, but he said he was relieved to see the proposal advance no further than U.S. Olympic Committee approval in 1973.
Since leaving office, Rampton practiced law in Salt Lake City.
“The values Cal embraced as governor are clear: moderation, persistence, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to public service,” said Holland. “Frankly, I believe the greatest tribute we could provide Gov. Rampton is to acknowledge his life as an inspiration for politicians on both sides of the aisle.
“It’s important to remember that the governor was a consensus builder during a period of deep divisions in our country. We should be saying, ‘If Cal brought the parties together during Vietnam, we can and must do it now.’ ”
The former governor had been diagnosed with cancer and was living at CareSource hospice in Holladay since about July. His health had been declining since his wife, Lucybeth, died in 2004.
Funeral services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Parley’s LDS Stake Center, 1870 E. Parley's Canyon Blvd. (2200 South). A viewing will be held Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Larkin Mortuary, 260 E. South Temple.
Calvin L. Rampton
Born: Nov. 6, 1913, in Bountiful, Utah, to Lewllyn S. Rampton and Janet Campbell Rampton.
Married: Lucybeth Cardon, March 10, 1940
Died: Sept. 16, 2007
Survivors: Daughter, Janet Warburton; sons Anthony Rampton, Vincent Rampton, all of Salt Lake City; numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, brother Byron, sister Virginia. Preceded in death by parents, wife Lucybeth and daughter Meg.
Highlights as governor
- Utah’s eleventh governor, serving three terms from 1965 to 1977;
- Established the Industrial Promotion Council and the Travel Council in order to promote industrial and recreational opportunities in Utah;
- Developed the Commission on the Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government (“Little Hoover Commission”) to consolidate and streamline Utah state government operations;
- Expanded state building program that anticipated the demands placed upon higher education institutions by a rapidly maturing boomer population;
- Initiated civil rights legislation with state bills that complied with the federal Public Accommodations Act and the Fair Employment Practice Act.
Timeline
- Rampton was born on Nov. 6, 1913, in Bountiful, Utah, the eldest of three children of Lewellyn Smith Rampton and Janet Campbell Rampton.
- Rampton took over the family automobile business, due to his father’s death that same year, following his graduation from Davis High School in 1931. He sold the business in 1933 and entered George Washington University Law School and University of Utah. While in Washington, D.C., Rampton was an administrative assistant to Utah Congressman J. Will Robinson. He graduated from the University of Utah with a law degree in 1940.
- Rampton married Lucybeth Cardon on March 10, 1940. They had four children.
- Rampton was Davis County Attorney and Assistant Attorney General for Utah after graduating from law school.
- Rampton served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II and was Chief of the Senior U.S. Army Claims Commission in Paris at the end of war.
- Rampton returned to Salt Lake City after the war and practiced law until his election as governor in 1964. During this period, he became an authority on transportation and taxation law and developed a wide range of political and corporate ties.
“Cal was an important and wise adviser for the Utah Democratic Party and Democratic candidates, even to the end. His counsel focused not only on what was good for the party, but more importantly what was important to the state as a whole.”
Wayne Holland, chair, Democratic Party of Utah.
“The governor was always in tune with what was happening, Utah issues certainly, but also technical issues at the national and international level.”
Wayne Holland, chair, Democratic Party of Utah.
“In my personal discussions with him, whether it was in his apartment in Holladay or at the Alta Club with his old and new friends, he was always quick to cut to the chase and articulate a common sense resolution to issues that seems to evade today’s spin masters.”
Wayne Holland, chair, Democratic Party of Utah
“Governor Rampton was that rare public leader who could see both the forest and the trees. He provided great strategic vision on issues like education and economic development. At the same time, his detailed mastery of the state's budget and his knowledge of every community in the state were extraordinary. These qualities combined with his progressive leadership make him Utah’s first truly modern Governor. He has been the model for all of his successors.”
Scott Matheson, former dean, University of Utah Law School
“Cal’s life was a testament to the underdog. He lost election after election but stayed in the game only to become one of Utah’s most influential governors and leaders. His ability to break through partisan barriers for the common good of all Utahns is an example we should all examine and remember."Rob Miller, vice chair, Democratic Party of Utah
“Cal Rampton brought an intelligence and integrity to the political landscape that everyone respected. When he spoke, everyone knew that he had thought long and hard about what he was going to say. He never said something just to get headlines. And when he made a decision, there was no question that he believed it was the best decision for the state, not for political expediency or a vested economic interest.”
Pat Shea, former chair of the Utah Democrat Party
“Cal Rampton was an unsurpassed leader, one whose foresight, intellect and humor has paved the way for Utah’s modern era.”
Ralph Becker, minority leader in the Utah House of Representatives
“Cal Rampton’s leadership and commitment to the Democratic Party in Utah was remarkable and will be long remembered.”
Jenny Wilson, Salt Lake County Council
“I think we all see Cal as the father of modern economic development in the state of Utah. He reorganized government. He supercharged government/business development. And he launched serious the serious promotion of tourism. What he did has reverberated for 30 years and continues to influence the way government does business.”
Mickey Gallivan, former Utah travel director
“Gov. Rampton set the benchmark for modern-day governors. His leadership and service brought enormous success and pride to the people of Utah. We all are beneficiaries of his legacy. Mary Kaye and I express our heartfelt condolences to the Rampton family. The entire State of Utah joins them in mourning the loss of one of the finest public servants we have ever known.”
Jon Huntsman Jr., current governor of Utah
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