Gaston Caperton
Encyclopedia
William Gaston Caperton III (born February 21, 1940) was the 31st Governor of the U.S. state
of West Virginia
from 1989 until 1997. He is currently the president of the College Board
, which administers the nationally recognized SAT
and AP tests. Caperton announced his intention to step down as president of the College Board effective June 30, 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
, Kanawha County
, West Virginia
. His personal testimony proves that growing up in Charleston, he often felt extremely lenient academic pressure and realized the necessity to strengthen the competition of American high school students.
He attended Dexter School
(Brookline, Massachusetts), Episcopal High School
in Alexandria
, Virginia
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon
.
After graduation he returned to Charleston to manage a family-owned insurance firm. He soon became its principal owner and, under his watch, it became the tenth largest privately owned insurance brokerage firm in the nation. Caperton also owned a bank and mortgage banking firm. Caperton was elected governor in his first attempt to seek public office in 1988.
, Arch A. Moore, Jr.
In the 1992 election, Caperton was challenged by Charlotte Pritt
in the Democratic primary. Caperton won the primary and the general election, defeating the Republican candidate, West Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Cleve Benedict
, and Pritt, running as a write-in candidate. Caperton was constitutionally prohibited from running for a third consecutive term in 1996.
magazine called the state the most improved in the nation. Critics accused Caperton of failing to keep a campaign promise not to raise taxes, but defenders claimed that the previous governor had misstated the condition of the state's finances and failed to disclose the need for tax increases.
by the state's public educators, Caperton raised teacher's salaries from 49th to 31st in the nation and trained more than 19,000 educators through a statewide Center for Professional Development with the goal of putting technology to its best use in West Virginia's classrooms. He encouraged the use of computers and technology in West Virginia public schools, resulting in the West Virginia Basic Skills Computer Program
, which began with kindergarten and extended through sixth grade. His common refrain for "computers in every classroom" since has been expanded to include grades 7-12. In 1996, West Virginia's advances in education technology gained national recognition when Caperton received the Computerworld
Smithsonian Award
. Award sponsors called Caperton a "visionary" who "fundamentally changed the education system in America" by using technological innovations. Information about Caperton and his work is included in the Smithsonian's Permanent Research Collection. In January 1997, the magazine Education Week, conducted a study of the nation's education system and held out West Virginia for the state's use of technology in education.
, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Southern Growth Policy Board. Caperton has received numerous state and national awards and special recognition, including six honorary doctoral degrees.
. The facility is a museum
, art gallery
, and collection of studios for visiting artists that showcases products of West Virginia and organizes the state's "cottage industry." Tamarack is the center of an integrated distribution and marketing network for products by more than 1,200 West Virginia artists. The Rosen Group, publisher of Niche magazine, named Caperton the 1997 Humanitarian of the Year for creating a progressive market for the state's cottage industry.
in the spring of 1997 as a fellow at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics. He founded and now runs the Institute on Education and Government at Columbia University
.
Caperton became President and CEO of the College Board
on July 1, 1999. The New York City based College Board is a nonprofit membership association of more than 4,200 schools, colleges and other educational institutions throughout America. Its mission, as expressed by Governor Caperton, is to prepare, inspire and connect students to college success, with a focus on excellence and equity. The College Board is best known for its SAT College admissions exam and for its Advanced Placement Program, which offers high school students access to quality, college-level course work. Since taking the helm of the College Board, Governor Caperton has sought to enhance the standing and expand the reach of these two programs and to launch a series of initiatives. As a result of one of these initiatives, AP courses became more available to inner city and rural students.
Caperton appears concerned about unequal educational opportunity, and he led an effort to encourage students at middle schools to go to college, particularly the least advantaged. His efforts prompted USA Today
to label him an "education crusader". The publication also named him one of the most influential people in America in its feature, "People to Watch: 2001."
More recently, Governor Caperton led a successful campaign to revise the SAT when the College Board's trustees requested changes to the test. The College Board introduced a set of changes to the SAT that include a writing test, more critical reading, and advanced math. The goal of the new SAT I is to more closely reflect the course work of the nation's high school students while maintaining what they describe as the test's level of rigor and excellence. The new SAT I was administered for the first time in March 2005.
Caperton was reportedly among the top candidates to fill the remainder of the late Senator Robert Byrd
's term. The appointment ultimately went to Carte Goodwin
.
(born Ella Kessel, Miss West Virginia
1964) divorced in 1990 during his first term, and she later unsuccessfully ran in the election for state treasurer. With Dee he had two boys, William Gaston Caperton, IV, ("Gat") and John Caperton. Both sons are married and living with their own families ("Gat" in West Virginia and John in California). Dee passed away in France on September 1, 2000.
His second wife was the Musical Director/ Conductor of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Rachael Worby
. She and Caperton divorced in 1998.
In 2003, he married his third wife Idit Harel Caperton
, an Israeli, MIT PhD
, education technology expert, mother of three, and the Founder and CEO of MaMaMedia
. Gaston and Idit Caperton live and work in New York City
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
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...
from 1989 until 1997. He is currently the president of the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
, which administers the nationally recognized SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
and AP tests. Caperton announced his intention to step down as president of the College Board effective June 30, 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party
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...
.
Pre-gubernatorial history
Caperton was born in CharlestonCharleston, 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...
, Kanawha County
Kanawha County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 200,073 people, 86,226 households, and 55,960 families residing in the county. The population density was 222 people per square mile . There were 93,788 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
, 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...
. His personal testimony proves that growing up in Charleston, he often felt extremely lenient academic pressure and realized the necessity to strengthen the competition of American high school students.
He attended Dexter School
Dexter School
Founded in 1926, the Dexter School is an independent school for boys located in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA. Its campus is also home to its sister school, Southfield, an independent school for girls founded in 1992....
(Brookline, Massachusetts), Episcopal High School
Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)
Episcopal High School , founded in 1839, is a private boarding school located in Alexandria, Virginia. The Holy Hill's campus houses 435 students from 30 states, the District of Columbia and 17 different countries...
in Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a fraternity founded at Yale College in 1844 by 15 men of the sophomore class who had not been invited to join the two existing societies...
.
After graduation he returned to Charleston to manage a family-owned insurance firm. He soon became its principal owner and, under his watch, it became the tenth largest privately owned insurance brokerage firm in the nation. Caperton also owned a bank and mortgage banking firm. Caperton was elected governor in his first attempt to seek public office in 1988.
Elections
In the 1988 gubernatorial election, Caperton, initially considered a long-shot for his party's nomination, defeated the Republican Party incumbentIncumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
, Arch A. Moore, Jr.
Arch A. Moore, Jr.
Arch Alfred Moore, Jr. was the 28th and 30th Governor of West Virginia from 1969 until 1977 and from 1985 until 1989. He was a Congressman from 1957 until entering the governor's office. He is a member of the United States Republican Party. He ran for reelection in 1988, but was defeated by...
In the 1992 election, Caperton was challenged by Charlotte Pritt
Charlotte Pritt
Charlotte Pritt is an educator, businesswoman, and politician in the U.S. state of West Virginia. From 1984 to 1988, she served in the West Virginia House of Delegates. From 1988 to 1996, she served in the West Virginia State Senate...
in the Democratic primary. Caperton won the primary and the general election, defeating the Republican candidate, West Virginia Secretary of Agriculture Cleve Benedict
Cleve Benedict
Cleveland Keith Benedict , better known as Cleve Benedict, is a retired Republican politician from West Virginia.Benedict was born in 1935 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was educated in public and private schools and then graduated from Princeton University in 1957...
, and Pritt, running as a write-in candidate. Caperton was constitutionally prohibited from running for a third consecutive term in 1996.
Financial policy
During his first term as the state's 31st governor, Caperton supported the passages of ethics, road-building, and education bills. He raised taxes in an effort to improve West Virginia's finances, thereby reducing debts exceeding $500 million and creating a $100 million surplus. Because of the reforms, Financial WorldFinancial World
Financial World was the United States' oldest business magazine before going out of business in 1998. In the magazine's later years of publication, its signature issue was the "Sports Franchise Valuation Issue".- History :...
magazine called the state the most improved in the nation. Critics accused Caperton of failing to keep a campaign promise not to raise taxes, but defenders claimed that the previous governor had misstated the condition of the state's finances and failed to disclose the need for tax increases.
Education policy
Publicly, Governor Caperton emphasized that education was his first priority. Caperton supported a school-building program that led to $800 million in investments for 58 new schools and 780 school renovations, directly benefiting two-thirds of West Virginia's public school students. After a brief strikeStrike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
by the state's public educators, Caperton raised teacher's salaries from 49th to 31st in the nation and trained more than 19,000 educators through a statewide Center for Professional Development with the goal of putting technology to its best use in West Virginia's classrooms. He encouraged the use of computers and technology in West Virginia public schools, resulting in the West Virginia Basic Skills Computer Program
West Virginia Basic Skills Computer Program
The West Virginia Basic Skills/Computer Education Program is a program of the West Virginia Department of Education. Its goals are to improve basic literacy and arithmetic skills in addition to computer ability....
, which began with kindergarten and extended through sixth grade. His common refrain for "computers in every classroom" since has been expanded to include grades 7-12. In 1996, West Virginia's advances in education technology gained national recognition when Caperton received the Computerworld
Computerworld
Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
Smithsonian Award
Smithsonian Award
The Computerworld Smithsonian Award is given out annually to individuals who have used technology to produce beneficial changes for society. Nominees are proposed by a group of 100 CEOs of information technology companies...
. Award sponsors called Caperton a "visionary" who "fundamentally changed the education system in America" by using technological innovations. Information about Caperton and his work is included in the Smithsonian's Permanent Research Collection. In January 1997, the magazine Education Week, conducted a study of the nation's education system and held out West Virginia for the state's use of technology in education.
Economic policy
As Governor, Caperton focused his efforts on economic development, modern roads and infrastructure, prisons and jails, a clean environment, health care, and government management. West Virginia's economy improved during his eight-year tenure. Unemployment dropped from 9.8% to 6.2%, the result of creating approximately 86,000 new jobs.National leadership roles
Near the end of his second term, Caperton was the 1996 chair of the Democratic Governor's Association, served on the National Governor's Association executive committee, and was a member of the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on U.S. Trade. He was chairman of the Appalachian Regional CommissionAppalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is a United States federal-state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life...
, Southern Regional Education Board, and the Southern Growth Policy Board. Caperton has received numerous state and national awards and special recognition, including six honorary doctoral degrees.
Tamarack
Another product of Caperton's tenure is the Tamarack, the Best of West VirginiaTamarack, Best of West Virginia
Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia: is a tourist destination located at Exit 44 above the Beckley service area of the West Virginia Turnpike. It features a red peaked roof and landscaped grounds that draw over 500,000 visitors annually...
. The facility is a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
, and collection of studios for visiting artists that showcases products of West Virginia and organizes the state's "cottage industry." Tamarack is the center of an integrated distribution and marketing network for products by more than 1,200 West Virginia artists. The Rosen Group, publisher of Niche magazine, named Caperton the 1997 Humanitarian of the Year for creating a progressive market for the state's cottage industry.
Post-gubernatorial career
After completing his second term, the former governor taught at Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in the spring of 1997 as a fellow at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Politics. He founded and now runs the Institute on Education and Government at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Caperton became President and CEO of the College Board
College Board
The College Board is a membership association in the United States that was formed in 1900 as the College Entrance Examination Board . It is composed of more than 5,900 schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. It sells standardized tests used by academically oriented...
on July 1, 1999. The New York City based College Board is a nonprofit membership association of more than 4,200 schools, colleges and other educational institutions throughout America. Its mission, as expressed by Governor Caperton, is to prepare, inspire and connect students to college success, with a focus on excellence and equity. The College Board is best known for its SAT College admissions exam and for its Advanced Placement Program, which offers high school students access to quality, college-level course work. Since taking the helm of the College Board, Governor Caperton has sought to enhance the standing and expand the reach of these two programs and to launch a series of initiatives. As a result of one of these initiatives, AP courses became more available to inner city and rural students.
Caperton appears concerned about unequal educational opportunity, and he led an effort to encourage students at middle schools to go to college, particularly the least advantaged. His efforts prompted USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
to label him an "education crusader". The publication also named him one of the most influential people in America in its feature, "People to Watch: 2001."
More recently, Governor Caperton led a successful campaign to revise the SAT when the College Board's trustees requested changes to the test. The College Board introduced a set of changes to the SAT that include a writing test, more critical reading, and advanced math. The goal of the new SAT I is to more closely reflect the course work of the nation's high school students while maintaining what they describe as the test's level of rigor and excellence. The new SAT I was administered for the first time in March 2005.
Caperton was reportedly among the top candidates to fill the remainder of the late Senator Robert Byrd
Robert Byrd
Robert Carlyle Byrd was a United States Senator from West Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, Byrd served as a U.S. Representative from 1953 until 1959 and as a U.S. Senator from 1959 to 2010...
's term. The appointment ultimately went to Carte Goodwin
Carte Goodwin
Carte Patrick Goodwin is an American politician and attorney who served as a United States Senator from West Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Goodwin was appointed by West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin on July 16, 2010, to fill the vacancy created by the death of Robert Byrd. ...
.
Personal biography
Caperton has been married three times. Caperton and his first wife, Ella Dee CapertonDee Caperton
Ella Dee Kessel Caperton was a First Lady of West Virginia and Miss West Virginia. She was the ex-wife of former West Virginia Gov...
(born Ella Kessel, Miss West Virginia
Miss West Virginia
The Miss West Virginia competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of West Virginia in the Miss America pageant.- Winners :- External links :*...
1964) divorced in 1990 during his first term, and she later unsuccessfully ran in the election for state treasurer. With Dee he had two boys, William Gaston Caperton, IV, ("Gat") and John Caperton. Both sons are married and living with their own families ("Gat" in West Virginia and John in California). Dee passed away in France on September 1, 2000.
His second wife was the Musical Director/ Conductor of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Rachael Worby
Rachael Worby
Rachael Worby is an American conductor who was the First Lady of West Virginia, she rose to fame during her long tenure as Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra in Wheeling, West Virginia...
. She and Caperton divorced in 1998.
In 2003, he married his third wife Idit Harel Caperton
Idit Harel Caperton
Idit Harel Caperton, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist and epistemologist specializing in the study of the impact of computer-based new media technology on the social and academic development of children...
, an Israeli, MIT PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, education technology expert, mother of three, and the Founder and CEO of MaMaMedia
MaMaMedia
MaMaMedia is an educational consulting firm run by Idit Harel Caperton that specializes in applications of constructionist learning theory.MaMaMedia.com is designed to foster digital literacy skills for children using contructionist theory principles....
. Gaston and Idit Caperton live and work in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.