Dean T. Prosser
Encyclopedia
Dean T. Prosser, Jr. was a Republican
member of the Wyoming House of Representatives
from 1971–1983, who authored major environmental legislation to preserve the Wyoming
landscape. Prosser was also the executive secretary and then the executive vice-president of the influential Wyoming Stockgrowers Association from 1963-1984. He worked thereafter with the National Cattle
man's Association to establish the existing cattle import quota
law.
Prosser was born in Cheyenne
to Dean Prosser, Sr., and the former Dorothy Riner (1889–1973) and spent his early years on the family ranch
in Albany County near Laramie
. He attended the first six grades at the former Pumpkin Vine School in Tie Siding
located north of the Colorado
border. He then attended University Prep School and lived at Sherwood Hall in Laramie. In 1934, he graduated though from Cheyenne High School. Thereafter in 1939, he procured a bachelor of science
degree in business administration from the University of Colorado
at Boulder
.
In 1940, he wed the former Harriot Ann McSween. They settled on the Chalk Bluffs Ranch near Cheyenne, where Prosser assisted his father in the ranching operation. Prosser took over the management of the ranch after his father's death in 1958. He ranched in Cheyenne until 1963, when he joined the stockgrowers association.
Prosser served six two-year terms in the legislature under Governor
s Stanley K. Hathaway
, a fellow Republican, and Edgar Herschler
, a Democrat
. He served on these committees: (1) Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources, (2) Mines, Minerals, and Industrial Development, (3) Transportation and Highway, and (4) Rules and Procedures. The Department of Environmental Quality was established during his term as chairman of the Mines and Minerals Committee.
In addition, Chairman Prosser worked for passage of the Wyoming Mined Land Reclamation
Act and the Industrial Siting Act, both laws being the backbone of state environmental protection legislation. The Mined Land Reclamation Act requires mining companies to restore disturbed areas to their natural state and was a prototype of similar legislation adopted nationally. Prosser sponsored the Wyoming Beef
Council Act, which established a checkoff system to collect funds to promote the sale of beef. Representative Prosser also worked successfully to remove the ad valorem tax
on livestock, which saves ranchers $6 to $10 per year per head. He also worked to improve brand inspection laws.
From his capacity at the Stockgrowers Association, Prosser cautioned ranchers not to overproduce cattle during periods of high prices. Once a downturn in the economy took effect, the ranchers would be unable to make good profits on future sales. "The real culprit is the guy who looks back into the mirror while preparing for your daily shave," Prosser told cattlemen in their annual convention in June 1977.
Prosser was the past president of the International Livestock Brand Conference, which coordinated the transfer of cattle across state lines. In 1983, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Northern International Livestock Exposition because of his overall contributions to agriculture
. He was a past chairman of the Laramie County
(Cheyenne) Fair
Board and a past president of his county Farm Bureau.
After World War II
, Prosser served on the Laramie County Draft Board. He was a director of Memorial Hospital
in Cheyenne. He was a member of the Governor's Agricultural Advisory Committee. In 1967, he was named secretary of the Wyoming Council for Economic Development. U.S. President Richard M. Nixon appointed Prosser to the Wild Horse and Burro
Advisory Board, which implements congressional legislation to protect wild horses and burros. President Ronald W. Reagan named Prosser to the National Public Lands Advisory Board. In 1998, he was chosen as a finalist in the field of agriculture for the honor "Wyoming Citizen of the Century".
After the death of first wife Harriot, Prosser in 1979 married the former Gloria Craw Prieto. The couple retired and moved, first, to Green Valley, Arizona
, and then Tiverton, Rhode Island. Prosser died in a hospital
in Newport, Rhode Island
.
In addition to second wife Gloria, Prosser was survived by his children from his first marriage: Alden Herbert Prosser (born 1943) and wife, Sherilyn Kay Prosser, of Wheatland
, Ann Truxell Palen and her husband, Jerry Joseph Palen (both born 1944), of Saratoga
, and Edward Riner Prosser (born 1949) and wife, Nancy Prosser, of Cheyenne; one stepdaughter, Gigi Harvey and husband, Andrew, of London, England; nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
Edward Prosser is a former member of the Wyoming House who was unseated in the 2004 Republican primary by Representative Dan Zwonitzer
. He also failed in a 2006 primary comeback attempt against Zwonitzer.
Services for Dean Prosser were held on October 2, 2007, in Schrader Funeral Home Chapel in Cheyenne. Burial followed at historic Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne.
Prosser was the fifth former Cheyenne-area lawmaker to have died between April and September 2007. Republicans Joseph D. Selby
, Larry D. Shippy
, and Robert Schliske
died on April 20, June 8, and June 21, respectively. Democrat Edwin H. Whitehead
succumbed on May 20.
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...
member of the Wyoming House of Representatives
Wyoming House of Representatives
The Wyoming House of Representatives is the lower house of the Wyoming State Legislature. There are 60 Representatives in the House, representing an equal amount of single-member constituent districts across the state, each with a population of at least 9,000. The House convenes at the Wyoming...
from 1971–1983, who authored major environmental legislation to preserve the Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
landscape. Prosser was also the executive secretary and then the executive vice-president of the influential Wyoming Stockgrowers Association from 1963-1984. He worked thereafter with the National Cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
man's Association to establish the existing cattle import quota
Import quota
An import quota is a type of protectionist trade restriction that sets a physical limit on the quantity of a good that can be imported into a country in a given period of time....
law.
Prosser was born in Cheyenne
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...
to Dean Prosser, Sr., and the former Dorothy Riner (1889–1973) and spent his early years on the family ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
in Albany County near Laramie
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
. He attended the first six grades at the former Pumpkin Vine School in Tie Siding
Tie Siding, Wyoming
Tie Siding is a tiny unincorporated community in far southeastern Albany County, Wyoming, United States, approximately eight miles north of the Colorado border. It was strategically located to service the expansion of railroad systems in the West from the late 1860s to early 1900s. Tie Siding...
located north of the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
border. He then attended University Prep School and lived at Sherwood Hall in Laramie. In 1934, he graduated though from Cheyenne High School. Thereafter in 1939, he procured a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in business administration from the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
at Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
.
In 1940, he wed the former Harriot Ann McSween. They settled on the Chalk Bluffs Ranch near Cheyenne, where Prosser assisted his father in the ranching operation. Prosser took over the management of the ranch after his father's death in 1958. He ranched in Cheyenne until 1963, when he joined the stockgrowers association.
Prosser served six two-year terms in the legislature under Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
s Stanley K. Hathaway
Stanley K. Hathaway
Stanley Knapp Hathaway served as 27th Governor of Wyoming from 1967–1975, and as United States Secretary of the Interior under President Gerald R. Ford.- Early life and military service :Stanley K...
, a fellow Republican, and Edgar Herschler
Edgar Herschler
Edgar Jacob Herschler , popularly known as "Gov. Ed", was the 28th Governor of Wyoming from 1975 to 1987. Herschler built a personal appeal to voters based on charisma, a small-town background, and shrewd political maneuvering to such an extent that he was the only three-term governor in Wyoming...
, 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...
. He served on these committees: (1) Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources, (2) Mines, Minerals, and Industrial Development, (3) Transportation and Highway, and (4) Rules and Procedures. The Department of Environmental Quality was established during his term as chairman of the Mines and Minerals Committee.
In addition, Chairman Prosser worked for passage of the Wyoming Mined Land Reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
Act and the Industrial Siting Act, both laws being the backbone of state environmental protection legislation. The Mined Land Reclamation Act requires mining companies to restore disturbed areas to their natural state and was a prototype of similar legislation adopted nationally. Prosser sponsored the Wyoming Beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
Council Act, which established a checkoff system to collect funds to promote the sale of beef. Representative Prosser also worked successfully to remove the ad valorem tax
Ad valorem tax
An ad valorem tax is a tax based on the value of real estate or personal property. It is more common than a specific duty, a tax based on the quantity of an item, such as cents per kilogram, regardless of price....
on livestock, which saves ranchers $6 to $10 per year per head. He also worked to improve brand inspection laws.
From his capacity at the Stockgrowers Association, Prosser cautioned ranchers not to overproduce cattle during periods of high prices. Once a downturn in the economy took effect, the ranchers would be unable to make good profits on future sales. "The real culprit is the guy who looks back into the mirror while preparing for your daily shave," Prosser told cattlemen in their annual convention in June 1977.
Prosser was the past president of the International Livestock Brand Conference, which coordinated the transfer of cattle across state lines. In 1983, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Northern International Livestock Exposition because of his overall contributions to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. He was a past chairman of the Laramie County
Laramie County, Wyoming
Laramie County is the most populous of the 23 counties of the U.S. state of Wyoming. The county is located in the southeastern corner of the state. The county's population was 91,738 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Cheyenne, the state capital...
(Cheyenne) Fair
County Fair
"County Fair" is a song written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was originally released as the second track on their 1962 album Surfin' Safari. On November 26th of that year, it was released as the B-side to The Beach Boys' third single, "Ten Little...
Board and a past president of his county Farm Bureau.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Prosser served on the Laramie County Draft Board. He was a director of Memorial Hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Cheyenne. He was a member of the Governor's Agricultural Advisory Committee. In 1967, he was named secretary of the Wyoming Council for Economic Development. U.S. President Richard M. Nixon appointed Prosser to the Wild Horse and Burro
Burro
The burro is a small donkey used primarily as a pack animal. In addition, significant numbers of feral burros live in the Southwestern United States, where they are protected by law, and in Mexico...
Advisory Board, which implements congressional legislation to protect wild horses and burros. President Ronald W. Reagan named Prosser to the National Public Lands Advisory Board. In 1998, he was chosen as a finalist in the field of agriculture for the honor "Wyoming Citizen of the Century".
After the death of first wife Harriot, Prosser in 1979 married the former Gloria Craw Prieto. The couple retired and moved, first, to Green Valley, Arizona
Green Valley, Arizona
Green Valley is a census-designated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States. The population was 17,283 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Green Valley is located at ....
, and then Tiverton, Rhode Island. Prosser died in a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
.
In addition to second wife Gloria, Prosser was survived by his children from his first marriage: Alden Herbert Prosser (born 1943) and wife, Sherilyn Kay Prosser, of Wheatland
Wheatland, Wyoming
Wheatland is a town in and the county seat of Platte County in southeastern Wyoming, United States. The population was 3,548 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wheatland is located at ....
, Ann Truxell Palen and her husband, Jerry Joseph Palen (both born 1944), of Saratoga
Saratoga, Wyoming
Saratoga is a town in Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 1,736 at the 2000 census.Saratoga is the home of the Steinley Cup microbrew competition, usually held in August at Veterans Island Park, a playground and picnic facility located on a small island in the North Platte...
, and Edward Riner Prosser (born 1949) and wife, Nancy Prosser, of Cheyenne; one stepdaughter, Gigi Harvey and husband, Andrew, of London, England; nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren.
Edward Prosser is a former member of the Wyoming House who was unseated in the 2004 Republican primary by Representative Dan Zwonitzer
Dan Zwonitzer
Dan Zwonitzer is a Republican Party member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from District 43, which comprises south-central Laramie County and includes southeastern Cheyenne....
. He also failed in a 2006 primary comeback attempt against Zwonitzer.
Services for Dean Prosser were held on October 2, 2007, in Schrader Funeral Home Chapel in Cheyenne. Burial followed at historic Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne.
Prosser was the fifth former Cheyenne-area lawmaker to have died between April and September 2007. Republicans Joseph D. Selby
Joseph D. Selby
Joseph David Selby was a Cheyenne lawyer who served as municipal judge from 1978–1982 and as a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives from District 41 in Laramie County from 1995-1997....
, Larry D. Shippy
Larry D. Shippy
Larry Deleo Shippy was a Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, having served in Laramie County District 8, including part of Cheyenne, from 1993–1996. Shippy was known for his efforts to expand the privatizing of government services...
, and Robert Schliske
Robert Schliske
Robert Paul Edward Schliske, I , was a founder of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne and a former Republican member of the Wyoming House of Representatives. He served in the House from 1971-1975 during the administration of Republican Governor Stanley K...
died on April 20, June 8, and June 21, respectively. Democrat Edwin H. Whitehead
Edwin H. Whitehead
Edwin H. "Ed" Whitehead was a lawyer in Cheyenne, a former Democratic member of the Wyoming House of Representatives, and an early supporter of John F...
succumbed on May 20.