K. Gunn McKay
Encyclopedia
Koln Gunn McKay was an American politician who represented the state of Utah
. He served from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1981, beginning in the ninety-second
Congress
and in four succeeding congresses.
, Weber County, Utah
. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church). His brother Monroe G. McKay
would become a justice of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
in 1977, and he was a cousin of David O. McKay
, the LDS Church president from 1951 to 1970.
McKay served in the U. S. Coast Guard
during World War II
, and was later an LDS missionary
in England
. Afterward, he worked as a farmer, businessman and high school history teacher. Having attended the Weber County public schools, McKay studied at Weber State College
in Ogden
and Utah State University
in Logan
, graduating in education in 1962.
McKay married Donna Biesinger in 1950 and they had ten children.
in 1962, completing two terms. He served on prominent house committees including the legislative council, Utah Long Range Goals and Planning Committee, and the Utah Government Reorganization Committee. McKay was appointed as administrative assistant to Utah Governor Calvin L. Rampton
, a fellow Democrat, between 1967 and 1970.
Utahns in the state's 1st District
elected McKay as a Democrat
to the Ninety-second Congress
in 1971, and he served in four succeeding Congresses. During his political career, McKay was a strong advocate of government development in Utah. As chairman of the Military Construction Subcommittee, McKay reopened Utah’s Minuteman Missile
production line, secured the F-16 fighter
mission for Hill Air Force Base
, Utah, and appropriated funding to increase security at Tooele, Utah
’s nerve gas storage facility.
McKay also worked to ensure protection for Utah’s natural resources, securing funding that further developed Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon
, Arches
, and Zion National Park
s. He also drafted legislation on Utah’s Lone Peak Wilderness Area and on the Clean Air Act
.
However, as the Republican party made significant advances in western politics during the Ronald Reagan landslide, McKay lost in his bid for a 6th term in 1980. He was replaced by Republican James V. Hansen
.
Stake, between 1967 and 1970. He also served as president
of the Edinburgh
Scotland
Mission
of the LDS Church between 1981 and 1984. He and his wife later served a two-year mission to Kenya
and another two-year mission to Malaysia. While in Pakistan
on yet another mission, McKay returned home early due to illness.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. He served from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1981, beginning in the ninety-second
92nd United States Congress
The Ninety-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...
Congress
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and in four succeeding congresses.
Biography
McKay was born in OgdenOgden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, Weber County, Utah
Weber County, Utah
Weber County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah, occupying a stretch of the Wasatch Front, part of the eastern shores of Great Salt Lake, and much of the rugged Wasatch Mountains. As of the 2000 census, the population was 196,533, an increase of 24.1% over its population in 1990. By...
. He was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon or LDS Church). His brother Monroe G. McKay
Monroe G. McKay
Monroe G. McKay is a United States federal judge.Born in Huntsville, Utah, McKay was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . His cousin, David O. McKay, became the president and prophet of the LDS Church in 1951. Around that time, Monroe was serving as a young LDS...
would become a justice of the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
in 1977, and he was a cousin of David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
, the LDS Church president from 1951 to 1970.
McKay served in the U. S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
during 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...
, and was later an LDS missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Afterward, he worked as a farmer, businessman and high school history teacher. Having attended the Weber County public schools, McKay studied at Weber State College
Weber State University
Weber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
in Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
and Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
in Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, graduating in education in 1962.
McKay married Donna Biesinger in 1950 and they had ten children.
Politics
McKay began his political career in the Utah House of RepresentativesUtah House of Representatives
The Utah House of Representatives is the lower house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The House is composed of 75 representatives elected from single member constituent districts. Each district contains an average population of 35,000 people...
in 1962, completing two terms. He served on prominent house committees including the legislative council, Utah Long Range Goals and Planning Committee, and the Utah Government Reorganization Committee. McKay was appointed as administrative assistant to Utah Governor Calvin L. Rampton
Calvin L. Rampton
Calvin Lewellyn Rampton was the 11th Governor of the state of Utah from 1965 to 1977.Following his graduation from Davis High School in 1931, he took over his family's automobile business, due to his father's death that same year. He sold the business in 1933 and entered the University of Utah,...
, a fellow Democrat, between 1967 and 1970.
Utahns in the state's 1st District
Utah's 1st congressional district
Utah's 1st congressional district serves the northwest area of Utah, including the cities of Ogden, Logan, Tooele; the northwest portion of Salt Lake City, and the entirety of the Great Salt Lake....
elected McKay as 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...
to the Ninety-second Congress
92nd United States Congress
The Ninety-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...
in 1971, and he served in four succeeding Congresses. During his political career, McKay was a strong advocate of government development in Utah. As chairman of the Military Construction Subcommittee, McKay reopened Utah’s Minuteman Missile
LGM-30 Minuteman
The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...
production line, secured the F-16 fighter
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
mission for Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base
Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force Base located in northern Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and near the towns of Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, Sunset, and Layton. It is about north of Salt Lake City. The base was named in honor of Major Ployer Peter Hill of the U.S. Army Air...
, Utah, and appropriated funding to increase security at Tooele, Utah
Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...
’s nerve gas storage facility.
McKay also worked to ensure protection for Utah’s natural resources, securing funding that further developed Capitol Reef National Park, Glen Canyon
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is a recreation and conservation unit of the National Park Service that encompasses the area around Lake Powell and lower Cataract Canyon in Utah and Arizona, covering 1,254,429 acres of mostly desert...
, Arches
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a U.S. National Park in eastern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and formations....
, and Zion National Park
Zion National Park
Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles long and up to half a mile deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River...
s. He also drafted legislation on Utah’s Lone Peak Wilderness Area and on the Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act
A Clean Air Act is one of a number of pieces of legislation relating to the reduction of airborne contaminants, smog and air pollution in general. The use by governments to enforce clean air standards has contributed to an improvement in human health and longer life spans...
.
However, as the Republican party made significant advances in western politics during the Ronald Reagan landslide, McKay lost in his bid for a 6th term in 1980. He was replaced by Republican James V. Hansen
James V. Hansen
James Vear "Jim" Hansen was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Utah.Hansen was born in Salt Lake City, graduating from the city's East High School. From 1951 until 1955 he served in the United States Navy. He attended the University of Utah, receiving a business...
.
Church service
An active leader in the LDS Church, McKay served as president of the OgdenOgden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
Stake, between 1967 and 1970. He also served as president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
of the Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the LDS Church between 1981 and 1984. He and his wife later served a two-year mission to Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and another two-year mission to Malaysia. While in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
on yet another mission, McKay returned home early due to illness.
External links
- K. Gunn McKay papers, held by Utah State University
- K. Gunn McKay's entry at the Notable Names Database (NNDBNNDBThe Notable Names Database , produced by Soylent Communications, the same entity that produces Rotten, Daily Rotten, Dr. Sputnik's Society Pages and Penny Postcards, is an online database of biographical details of over 36,000 people of note...
)