Warren E. Hearnes
Encyclopedia
Warren Eastman Hearnes was an American
politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri
from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat. He was married to Betty Cooper Hearnes
(born July 24, 1927), a former Missouri State Representative and Democratic Party nominee for Governor in 1988.
, Hearnes moved to Charleston, Missouri
as a child and resided there until his death. After high school, he attended the University of Missouri
for a year and a half, until he was drafted. Soon after reporting for duty, Hearnes was appointed by President Roosevelt to the United States Military Academy
at West Point, Class of 1946. He married his childhood sweetheart Betty Cooper on July 2, 1947.
He served in the U.S. Army
and was medically discharged in 1949 after he broke his ankle in a softball game. He was a 1952 graduate of the University of Missouri
School of Law. While attending law school he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives
in 1950 and served until 1961. He served as majority floor leader from 1957 until leaving office.
In 1960 he ran for Missouri Secretary of State. In the primary he defeated James Kirkpatrick, garnering 42.15% of the vote. He defeated Joseph Badgett in the general election with 56.18% of the vote.
political machine
in the race for governor. During the primary he campaigned against Kansas City establishment candidate Hilary A. Bush
charging, "At one time all Missouri was controlled from Kansas City by a man named Pendergast. This type of machine politics should never be allowed to rear its ugly head again in Missouri politics." Among Hearnes' planks was an effort to gain support in western Missouri by the establishment of a four-year college (Missouri Western State University
) in the population center of St. Joseph, Missouri despite the presence of a state college (Northwest Missouri State University
) less than 50 miles away in the much smaller city of Maryville, Missouri
.
Hearnes also campaigned against the Central Trust Bank of Jefferson City, Missouri
(which since its 1902 founding by Lon Stephens had been the central depository for state funds), saying that the bank's power was creating an atmosphere where establishment forces would "select rather than elect" a leader.
Hearnes won the primary over Bush with 51.9% of the vote. Helped by the coat tails effect of Lyndon Johnson's victory in the general election, he won by more than 500,000 votes and 62% of the vote, defeating Republican Washington University in St. Louis
chancellor Ethan A.H. Shepley
. His lieutenant governor in the race was Thomas Eagleton
. In 1965 the constitution was amended to permit governors to succeed themselves to serve two terms.
He was re-elected in 1968. He defeated Lawrence K. Roos, former St. Louis County Excutive and former president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. He had 60.8% of the vote.
Hearnes' priorities as Governor included improving public education, bettering the state's highways and traffic safety, as well as civil rights and the environment. State aid to public schools increased from $145.5 million to $389.2 million during Hearnes' term as governor, an increase of 167%, and he also increased state aid to higher education from $47.5 million to $144.7 million, an increase of 204%. He also oversaw the increase of state aid to vocational education from $856,000 to $8.8 million dollars, fostering the establishment 53 new area vocational educational schools. While Hearnes was Governor, the State of Missouri built 350 miles of four-lane highways throughout the state. He also created the Missouri Division of Highway Safety and enacted a law providing mandatory breath tests for suspected drunken drivers. Hearnes increased uniform strength of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
from 500 to 750 officers.
Hearnes was Governor during the Civil Rights era and as Governor he signed a Public Accommodations Law, Missouri's first civil rights act. As governor he also strengthened the Fair Employment Practices Act and increased the staff of the Human Rights Commission
from two employees to 35. Hearnes also enacted the state’s first air pollution
law, with subsequent strengthening of its provisions. He oversaw the passage of a $150 million water pollution bond issue to provide state matching funds for sewage control construction projects, and created the state’s Clean Water Commission to enforce water pollution laws. He also was responsible for the provision of first state financial grants for mass transit and urban rapid transit facilities. He created the Department of Community Affairs to assist local governments in obtaining technical assistance and grants for city planning, zoning, housing, sewage treatment, industrial development, and other municipal and regional projects.
In 1970, he was elected chairman of the National Governor's Association which held its annual conference at Lake of the Ozarks
.
In 1972 he supported Edmund Muskie
for President and was considered a possible running mate, had Muskie won the nomination.
In 1972 the Hearnes Center
on the University of Missouri
campus in Columbia, Missouri
was named in honor of the outgoing governor.
. Hearnes sued the paper for defamation and the case was ultimately settled with terms undisclosed.
He made three unsuccessful runs for office between 1976 and 1980.
Hearnes ran for United State Senate in 1976. He placed second in the primary with 26.9 percent of the vote. The winner, Jerry Litton
, had 45.4%, but was killed in a plane crash enroute to a primary election victory party on August 3. In a new primary on August 21 Hearnes defeated Jim Spainhower
with 60.8% of the vote. Hearnes lost the general election to John Danforth
who garnered 56.9% of the vote.
In 1978 he ran unsuccessfully for Missouri state auditor, losing the general election to Republican James F. Antonio, who received 50.8% of the vote. His wife, Betty Cooper Hearnes
, began her own political career as a state representative in 1979, serving until 1988. She also was the 1988 Democratic nominee for governor.
In 1980, Hearnes was appointed Circuit Court
Judge, making him the first person in Missouri
history to serve in all three branches of the state government. However he failed to be elected to the position in the same year.
He was executive director of Southeast Missouri Legal Services from 1981 until 1997.
In 2005, Warren and Betty Hearnes were awarded the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative during the Charleston Dogwood-Azalea Festival. The medal was presented by a delegation of citizens from Marshfield, Missouri. The medal is the city of Marshfield's highest honor and is named for a native son. In 2008 the Hearnes endorsed the campaign of Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.
He died August 16, 2009. Gov Hearnes is buried in IOOF Cemetery in Charleston, Missouri along with his daughter, Lynn Cooper Hearnes, who was killed in an auto accident on December 31, 2009 only a few months after her father Warren
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and the 46th Governor of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
from 1965 to 1973. He was the first Missouri Governor eligible to serve two consecutive four year terms, and a lifelong Democrat. He was married to Betty Cooper Hearnes
Betty Cooper Hearnes
Betty Cooper Hearnes is a Democratic American politician from Missouri.She married Warren Hearnes, a recent West Point graduate, in 1947, while he was on leave from the Army, and was his partner throughout his career, including his two terms as Governor of Missouri and the drawn-out vendetta...
(born July 24, 1927), a former Missouri State Representative and Democratic Party nominee for Governor in 1988.
Early life
Born in Moline, IllinoisMoline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
, Hearnes moved to Charleston, Missouri
Charleston, Missouri
Charleston is a city in Mississippi County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mississippi County and it is a home to a local correctional facility.-History:...
as a child and resided there until his death. After high school, he attended the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
for a year and a half, until he was drafted. Soon after reporting for duty, Hearnes was appointed by President Roosevelt to the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
at West Point, Class of 1946. He married his childhood sweetheart Betty Cooper on July 2, 1947.
He served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and was medically discharged in 1949 after he broke his ankle in a softball game. He was a 1952 graduate of the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
School of Law. While attending law school he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri House of Representatives
The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...
in 1950 and served until 1961. He served as majority floor leader from 1957 until leaving office.
In 1960 he ran for Missouri Secretary of State. In the primary he defeated James Kirkpatrick, garnering 42.15% of the vote. He defeated Joseph Badgett in the general election with 56.18% of the vote.
Governor
In 1964 he challenged the remnants of the Tom PendergastTom Pendergast
Thomas Joseph Pendergast controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri as a political boss. "Boss Tom" Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process.-Early years:Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as...
political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
in the race for governor. During the primary he campaigned against Kansas City establishment candidate Hilary A. Bush
Hilary A. Bush
Hilary Ashby Bush was a Democratic Party politician who was Jackson County, Missouri prosecutor in the 1940s and 1950s and Missouri's Lieutenant Governor in the 1960s....
charging, "At one time all Missouri was controlled from Kansas City by a man named Pendergast. This type of machine politics should never be allowed to rear its ugly head again in Missouri politics." Among Hearnes' planks was an effort to gain support in western Missouri by the establishment of a four-year college (Missouri Western State University
Missouri Western State University
Missouri Western State University is a public, co-educational university located in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The school enrolls 6,010 undergraduate students and 124 graduate students.-History:...
) in the population center of St. Joseph, Missouri despite the presence of a state college (Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University
Northwest Missouri State University is a state university in Maryville, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college, it offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. The campus, based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, is the official Missouri State Arboretum....
) less than 50 miles away in the much smaller city of Maryville, Missouri
Maryville, Missouri
Maryville is a city in Nodaway County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,581 at the 2000 census. The town, organized on February 14, 1845, was named for Mrs. Mary Graham, wife of Amos Graham, then the county clerk. Mary was the first Caucasian woman to have lived within the boundaries...
.
Hearnes also campaigned against the Central Trust Bank of Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
(which since its 1902 founding by Lon Stephens had been the central depository for state funds), saying that the bank's power was creating an atmosphere where establishment forces would "select rather than elect" a leader.
Hearnes won the primary over Bush with 51.9% of the vote. Helped by the coat tails effect of Lyndon Johnson's victory in the general election, he won by more than 500,000 votes and 62% of the vote, defeating Republican Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
chancellor Ethan A.H. Shepley
Ethan A.H. Shepley
Ethan Allen Hitchcock Shepley was the Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1953 until 1961.-Early years:Ethan Allen Hitchcock Shepley, a descendent of early American revolutionary Ethan Allen, was born in St. Louis in 1896. His father and grandfather were both graduates of...
. His lieutenant governor in the race was Thomas Eagleton
Thomas Eagleton
Thomas Francis Eagleton was a United States Senator from Missouri, serving from 1968–1987. He is best remembered for briefly being the Democratic vice presidential nominee under George McGovern in 1972...
. In 1965 the constitution was amended to permit governors to succeed themselves to serve two terms.
He was re-elected in 1968. He defeated Lawrence K. Roos, former St. Louis County Excutive and former president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank. He had 60.8% of the vote.
Hearnes' priorities as Governor included improving public education, bettering the state's highways and traffic safety, as well as civil rights and the environment. State aid to public schools increased from $145.5 million to $389.2 million during Hearnes' term as governor, an increase of 167%, and he also increased state aid to higher education from $47.5 million to $144.7 million, an increase of 204%. He also oversaw the increase of state aid to vocational education from $856,000 to $8.8 million dollars, fostering the establishment 53 new area vocational educational schools. While Hearnes was Governor, the State of Missouri built 350 miles of four-lane highways throughout the state. He also created the Missouri Division of Highway Safety and enacted a law providing mandatory breath tests for suspected drunken drivers. Hearnes increased uniform strength of the Missouri State Highway Patrol
Missouri State Highway Patrol
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is the highway patrol agency for Missouri and has jurisdiction anywhere within the state.State laws pertaining to the Highway Patrol including its creation, powers, structure, mission and duties are specified in...
from 500 to 750 officers.
Hearnes was Governor during the Civil Rights era and as Governor he signed a Public Accommodations Law, Missouri's first civil rights act. As governor he also strengthened the Fair Employment Practices Act and increased the staff of the Human Rights Commission
Human rights commission
A Human Rights Commission is a body set up to investigate, promote or protect human rights.The term may refer to international, national or subnational bodies set up for this purpose, such as national human rights institutions or truth and reconciliation commissions.-International Human Rights...
from two employees to 35. Hearnes also enacted the state’s first air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
law, with subsequent strengthening of its provisions. He oversaw the passage of a $150 million water pollution bond issue to provide state matching funds for sewage control construction projects, and created the state’s Clean Water Commission to enforce water pollution laws. He also was responsible for the provision of first state financial grants for mass transit and urban rapid transit facilities. He created the Department of Community Affairs to assist local governments in obtaining technical assistance and grants for city planning, zoning, housing, sewage treatment, industrial development, and other municipal and regional projects.
In 1970, he was elected chairman of the National Governor's Association which held its annual conference at Lake of the Ozarks
Lake of the Ozarks
The Lake of the Ozarks is a large reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Extents of three smaller tributaries to the Osage, the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek, and Gravois Creek, are included in the impoundment...
.
In 1972 he supported Edmund Muskie
Edmund Muskie
Edmund Sixtus "Ed" Muskie was an American politician from Rumford, Maine. He served as Governor of Maine from 1955 to 1959, as a member of the United States Senate from 1959 to 1980, and as Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter from 1980 to 1981...
for President and was considered a possible running mate, had Muskie won the nomination.
In 1972 the Hearnes Center
Hearnes Center
Hearnes Center is a 13,611-seat multi-purpose arena in Columbia, Missouri. The arena opened in 1972. It is currently home to the Tigers' nationally ranked wrestling and volleyball teams as well as the school's gymnastics and indoor track & field teams...
on the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
campus in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
was named in honor of the outgoing governor.
Post gubernatorial career
After leaving office Hearnes was plagued with tax problems which were ultimately cleared in 1977. His problems were highlighted by an expose in the St. Louis Post-DispatchSt. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
. Hearnes sued the paper for defamation and the case was ultimately settled with terms undisclosed.
He made three unsuccessful runs for office between 1976 and 1980.
Hearnes ran for United State Senate in 1976. He placed second in the primary with 26.9 percent of the vote. The winner, Jerry Litton
Jerry Litton
Jerry Lon Litton was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Missouri who died with his wife and two children while en route via a small plane to the victory party after winning Missouri's state Democratic primary for U.S. Senate....
, had 45.4%, but was killed in a plane crash enroute to a primary election victory party on August 3. In a new primary on August 21 Hearnes defeated Jim Spainhower
Jim Spainhower
James "Jim" Spainhower is a U.S. Democratic politician from Missouri. He served four terms in the Missouri House of Representatives and two terms as the Missouri State Treasurer.-Early life:...
with 60.8% of the vote. Hearnes lost the general election to John Danforth
John Danforth
John Claggett "Jack" Danforth is a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and former Republican United States Senator from Missouri. He is an ordained Episcopal priest. Danforth is married to Sally D. Danforth and has five adult children.-Education and early career:Danforth was born...
who garnered 56.9% of the vote.
In 1978 he ran unsuccessfully for Missouri state auditor, losing the general election to Republican James F. Antonio, who received 50.8% of the vote. His wife, Betty Cooper Hearnes
Betty Cooper Hearnes
Betty Cooper Hearnes is a Democratic American politician from Missouri.She married Warren Hearnes, a recent West Point graduate, in 1947, while he was on leave from the Army, and was his partner throughout his career, including his two terms as Governor of Missouri and the drawn-out vendetta...
, began her own political career as a state representative in 1979, serving until 1988. She also was the 1988 Democratic nominee for governor.
In 1980, Hearnes was appointed Circuit Court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
Judge, making him the first person in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
history to serve in all three branches of the state government. However he failed to be elected to the position in the same year.
He was executive director of Southeast Missouri Legal Services from 1981 until 1997.
In 2005, Warren and Betty Hearnes were awarded the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative during the Charleston Dogwood-Azalea Festival. The medal was presented by a delegation of citizens from Marshfield, Missouri. The medal is the city of Marshfield's highest honor and is named for a native son. In 2008 the Hearnes endorsed the campaign of Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.
He died August 16, 2009. Gov Hearnes is buried in IOOF Cemetery in Charleston, Missouri along with his daughter, Lynn Cooper Hearnes, who was killed in an auto accident on December 31, 2009 only a few months after her father Warren