Ralph Lawrence Carr
Encyclopedia
Ralph Lawrence Carr was the 29th Governor of Colorado
from 1939 to 1943. Born in Rosita
in Custer County
, he grew up in Cripple Creek
in Teller County
and graduated from Cripple Creek High School
in 1905. A Republican
, Carr was committed to fiscal restraint in state government and opposed the New Deal
policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
. However, Carr supported Roosevelt's foreign policy. When the War Relocation Authority
decided to resettle Japanese-Americans from the West Coast
in a camp at Amache near Granada, Colorado
, Carr went against popular anti-Japanese sentiment
by urging Coloradans to welcome the evacuees. In a speech defending the rights of the displaced Japanese-Americans, Carr said:
Carr's urgings for racial tolerance and for protection of the basic rights of the Japanese-Americans are generally thought to have cost him his political career, including his ambition for election to the United States Senate
. He narrowly lost the 1942 Senate election to incumbent Democratic
Senator Edwin C. Johnson
.
Carr is buried in Fairmount Cemetery
in Denver
. In 1976, a bust of Carr was erected in Denver's Sakura Square
to commemorate his efforts on behalf of Japanese-Americans.
Carr has a street named after him which runs through the western suburbs of Westminster
, Arvada
, Wheat Ridge
, and Lakewood
.
On March 14, 2008, both houses of the Colorado legislature, in a unanimous vote, named a section of U.S. Route 285
between Kenosha Pass and C-470 the "Ralph Carr Memorial Highway." http://www.politicswest.com/21773/house_names_road_after_courageous_gov_ralph_carr
On June 4, 2008, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 206 (Shaffer & Penry/T. Carroll & Marostica) authorizing the construction of a new state judicial complex in Denver to be named the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center, occupying the entire block between 13th and 14th Avenues and Broadway and Lincoln Street.http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1212573832542
Governor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
from 1939 to 1943. Born in Rosita
Rosita, Colorado
Rosita was a silver mining town — now a ghost town — in Custer County, Colorado, United States. Rosita is Spanish for little rose. Although the old town has almost entirely disappeared , the surrounding area has been largely developed into semi-rural home sites.The town was used in the filming of...
in Custer County
Custer County, Colorado
Custer County is the tenth least populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 3,503 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Westcliffe.- History :...
, he grew up in Cripple Creek
Cripple Creek, Colorado
The City of Cripple Creek is a Statutory City that is the county seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States. Cripple Creek is a former gold mining camp located southwest of Colorado Springs near the base of Pikes Peak. The Cripple Creek Historic District, which received National Historic...
in Teller County
Teller County, Colorado
Teller County is the 22nd most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 20,555 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Cripple Creek, and the most populous city is Woodland Park...
and graduated from Cripple Creek High School
Cripple Creek-Victor High School
Cripple Creek-Victor Junior/Senior High School is the high school in Cripple Creek, Colorado, also serving Victor, Colorado. It is the sole high school in Cripple Creek Victor Public School District RE-1.-External links:**...
in 1905. A 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...
, Carr was committed to fiscal restraint in state government and opposed the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
policies of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. However, Carr supported Roosevelt's foreign policy. When the War Relocation Authority
War Relocation Authority
The War Relocation Authority was a United States government agency established to handle internment of Japanese-, German-, and Italian-Americans during World War II...
decided to resettle Japanese-Americans from the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
in a camp at Amache near Granada, Colorado
Granada, Colorado
Granada is a Statutory Town in Prowers County, Colorado, United States. The population was 640 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Granada is located at ....
, Carr went against popular anti-Japanese sentiment
Anti-Japanese sentiment
Anti-Japanese sentiment involves hatred, grievance, distrust, dehumanization, intimidation, fear, hostility, and/or general dislike of the Japanese people and Japanese diaspora as ethnic or national group, Japan, Japanese culture, and/or anything Japanese. Sometimes the terms Japanophobia and...
by urging Coloradans to welcome the evacuees. In a speech defending the rights of the displaced Japanese-Americans, Carr said:
If you harm them, you must harm me. I was brought up in a small town where I knew the shame and dishonor of race hatred. I grew to despise it because it threatened the happiness of you and you and you.
Carr's urgings for racial tolerance and for protection of the basic rights of the Japanese-Americans are generally thought to have cost him his political career, including his ambition for election to the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He narrowly lost the 1942 Senate election to incumbent Democratic
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...
Senator Edwin C. Johnson
Edwin C. Johnson
Edwin Carl Johnson was a Democratic Party politician who served as Governor of the state of Colorado.-Background:...
.
Legacy
Fairmount Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado was founded in 1890 and is Denver's second oldest operating cemetery after Riverside Cemetery. It was designed by German landscape architect Reinhard Schuetze...
in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. In 1976, a bust of Carr was erected in Denver's Sakura Square
Sakura Square
is a small plaza located on the east side of the intersection of 19th Street and Larimer Street in Denver, Colorado. The square contains busts of Ralph L. Carr, Governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943, Minoru Yasui, a Japanese-American lawyer, and Yoshitaka Tamai , a Buddhist priest who lived in...
to commemorate his efforts on behalf of Japanese-Americans.
Carr has a street named after him which runs through the western suburbs of Westminster
Westminster, Colorado
Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...
, Arvada
Arvada, Colorado
The City of Arvada is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson and Adams counties in the Denver metropolitan area of the U.S. State of Colorado. Olde Town Arvada is located northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
, Wheat Ridge
Wheat Ridge, Colorado
The City of Wheat Ridge is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Wheat Ridge is a western suburb of Denver. The Wheat Ridge Municipal Center is approximately west-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver...
, and Lakewood
Lakewood, Colorado
Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Lakewood is the fifth most populous city in the State of Colorado and the 172nd most populous city in the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that in April 1, 2010...
.
On March 14, 2008, both houses of the Colorado legislature, in a unanimous vote, named a section of U.S. Route 285
U.S. Route 285
U.S. Route 285 is a north–south United States highway, running 845 miles through the states of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. The highway's northern terminus is in Denver, Colorado, at exit 201 on Interstate 25. Its southern terminus is in Sanderson, Texas at an intersection with U.S....
between Kenosha Pass and C-470 the "Ralph Carr Memorial Highway." http://www.politicswest.com/21773/house_names_road_after_courageous_gov_ralph_carr
On June 4, 2008, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 206 (Shaffer & Penry/T. Carroll & Marostica) authorizing the construction of a new state judicial complex in Denver to be named the Ralph L. Carr Justice Center, occupying the entire block between 13th and 14th Avenues and Broadway and Lincoln Street.http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/GovRitter/GOVR/1212573832542
External links
- Governor Ralph L. Carr Collection at the Colorado State Archives
- "A Small Voice, But a Strong Voice" - A short documentary about Ralph Carr that won the 2006 National History Day competition.