Bob Wise
Encyclopedia
Robert Ellsworth "Bob" Wise, Jr. (born January 6, 1948) is an American politician
. A Democrat
, Wise served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from January 2001 to January 2005.
. He received a B.A.
from Duke University
in 1970 and a law degree from Tulane University Law School
in 1975. Wise's political career began in 1980, when he defeated an incumbent senator for election to the state Senate of West Virginia
as a Democrat from the state capital, Charleston
. On July 28, 1984, he married Sandra Casber
.
before being elected in 1982 to the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 3rd congressional district
. He unseated incumbent Republican
Mick Staton in a close race, but was reelected eight times without serious opposition. His district was renumbered the 2nd after West Virginia's declining population cost it a congressional seat after the 1990 United States Census. Wise served as an at-large whip
, regional whip, and parliamentarian
for the Democratic Party. He also served as ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
. In December 1998, Representative Bob Wise announced that he was considering forming an exploratory committee to raise money for a campaign for governor.
In 2000, Wise ran for governor against incumbent Republican Cecil H. Underwood
, winning by 51% to 47%.
saw the greatest loss in employment in state history (including the Great Depression) and a tightened fiscal environment. During this period, Wise responded to the economic challenges of the state by attempting to attract businesses through an extensive tax and infrastructure assistance program. In one instance, the state issued $215 million in grants to spur $1 billion investment in projects, such as the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Cabela's
, the Marshall University
Biotechnology Development Center and the West Virginia High Technology Consortium.
Wise is credited with creating the PROMISE scholarship, which allows many West Virginia students to attend any public, state university free of charge. The program is funded through video lottery revenue, and was inspired by the HOPE scholarship
program in Georgia
. Since its inception, the percentage of students leaving the state to pursue postsecondary degrees has dropped to its lowest levels since the mid-1990s. Wise was also the first governor to propose full funding for the Higher Education Grant Program.
During his term he chaired the National Governors Association Committee on Natural Resources and the Southern States Energy Board.
Following his term, he returned to Washington, where he now serves as the President of the Alliance for Excellent Education
, a national policy and advocacy non-profit organization that works to improve national and federal policy so that all students can achieve at high academic levels and graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship in the twenty-first century.
In 2010, Wise partnered with Jeb Bush
, to co-chair the Digital Learning Council (DLC), a diverse group of more than 100 leaders from education, government, philanthropy, business, technology, and think tanks charged to develop a roadmap of reform for local, state and federal lawmakers and policymakers. In December 2010, the DLC released The 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning.
In August 2011, Wise was named to The NonProfit Times
"Power & Influence Top 50," an annual listing of the fifty most influential executives in the nonprofit sector.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
. A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Wise served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from January 2001 to January 2005.
Early life
Wise was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. He received a B.A.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1970 and a law degree from Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School
Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States....
in 1975. Wise's political career began in 1980, when he defeated an incumbent senator for election to the state Senate of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
as a Democrat from the state capital, Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
. On July 28, 1984, he married Sandra Casber
Sandra Casber Wise
Sandra Casber Wise is the wife of former Governor of West Virginia Bob Wise of West Virginia and served as that state's First Lady from 2001-2005. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 3, 1946. She earned a degree in political science from Macalester College and a law degree from the...
.
Congressional career
In 1981, Wise started a career in the West Virginia SenateWest Virginia Senate
The West Virginia Senate is the upper house of the West Virginia Legislature.There are 17 senatorial districts. Each district has two senators who serve staggered four-year terms....
before being elected in 1982 to the U.S. House of Representatives from West Virginia's 3rd congressional district
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district is located in the southern part of the state, it is based in the state's second largest city, Huntington and includes Bluefield, Princeton, and Beckley.The district is currently represented by Democrat Nick Rahall....
. He unseated incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Mick Staton in a close race, but was reelected eight times without serious opposition. His district was renumbered the 2nd after West Virginia's declining population cost it a congressional seat after the 1990 United States Census. Wise served as an at-large whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, regional whip, and parliamentarian
Parliamentarian of the United States House of Representatives
The Parliamentarian of the United States House of Representatives manages, supervises, and administers its Office of the Parliamentarian, which is responsible for advising presiding officers, Members, and staff on procedural questions under the U.S...
for the Democratic Party. He also served as ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. John Mica currently chairs the committee.-History:...
. In December 1998, Representative Bob Wise announced that he was considering forming an exploratory committee to raise money for a campaign for governor.
In 2000, Wise ran for governor against incumbent Republican Cecil H. Underwood
Cecil H. Underwood
Cecil Harland Underwood was an American Republican Party politician from West Virginia, known for the length of his career. He was the 25th and 32nd Governor of West Virginia from 1957 until 1961 and from 1997 until 2001. He ran for reelection in 2000 but was defeated by Bob Wise...
, winning by 51% to 47%.
Governor of West Virginia
Wise's tenure as Governor of West Virginia, during an overall economic downturn following the bursting of the dot-com bubble and the economic fallout from the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
saw the greatest loss in employment in state history (including the Great Depression) and a tightened fiscal environment. During this period, Wise responded to the economic challenges of the state by attempting to attract businesses through an extensive tax and infrastructure assistance program. In one instance, the state issued $215 million in grants to spur $1 billion investment in projects, such as the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute, Cabela's
Cabela's
Cabela's is a direct marketer and specialty retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise, based in Sidney, Nebraska. It also has "Trophy Properties LLC , "Outdoor Adventures" , and the "Gun Library"...
, the Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
Biotechnology Development Center and the West Virginia High Technology Consortium.
Wise is credited with creating the PROMISE scholarship, which allows many West Virginia students to attend any public, state university free of charge. The program is funded through video lottery revenue, and was inspired by the HOPE scholarship
HOPE Scholarship
The HOPE Scholarship Program created in 1993 under the supervision of Georgia Governor Zell Miller, is a merit-based higher education scholarship that is funded entirely by revenue from the Georgia Lottery and is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission...
program in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Since its inception, the percentage of students leaving the state to pursue postsecondary degrees has dropped to its lowest levels since the mid-1990s. Wise was also the first governor to propose full funding for the Higher Education Grant Program.
During his term he chaired the National Governors Association Committee on Natural Resources and the Southern States Energy Board.
Post-political career
The Governor admitted to an affair with a female state employee in 2003 and did not seek reelection in 2004, becoming the first governor not to seek a second term since the West Virginia state constitution was amended in 1970 to allow consecutive terms.Following his term, he returned to Washington, where he now serves as the President of the Alliance for Excellent Education
Alliance for Excellent Education
The Alliance for Excellent Education is a national policy, research and advocacy organization that works to develop a national consensus and policy agenda to transform American high schools. To do this, AEE advocates at the federal level for funding and policies to ensure resources are targeted to...
, a national policy and advocacy non-profit organization that works to improve national and federal policy so that all students can achieve at high academic levels and graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship in the twenty-first century.
In 2010, Wise partnered with Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
, to co-chair the Digital Learning Council (DLC), a diverse group of more than 100 leaders from education, government, philanthropy, business, technology, and think tanks charged to develop a roadmap of reform for local, state and federal lawmakers and policymakers. In December 2010, the DLC released The 10 Elements of High Quality Digital Learning.
In August 2011, Wise was named to The NonProfit Times
The NonProfit Times
The NonProfit Times is a newspaper based in Morris Plains, New Jersey, covering the business management of non-profit organizations in the United States. The first issue was published in April 1987. The newspaper covers fundraising, accounting, managerial issues and human resource management...
"Power & Influence Top 50," an annual listing of the fifty most influential executives in the nonprofit sector.