Scott M. Matheson

Scott Matheson
12th Governor of Utah
In office
January 3, 1977 – January 7, 1985
LieutenantDavid S. Monson
Preceded byCal Rampton
Succeeded byNorm Bangerter
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office
August 10, 1982 – August 2, 1983
Preceded byRichard Snelling
Succeeded byJim Thompson
Personal details
Born
Scott Milne Matheson, Jr.

(1929-01-08)January 8, 1929
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 7, 1990(1990-10-07) (aged 61)
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
(m. 1951)​
Children4, including Scott and Jim
Parent
EducationUniversity of Utah (BA)
Stanford University (LLB)

Scott Milne Matheson Jr. (January 8, 1929 – October 7, 1990) was an American politician who served as the 12th governor of Utah from 1977 to 1985. He is the most recent Democrat to serve in that position.

Biography

Matheson was born on January 8, 1929, in Chicago to Latter-day Saint parents Scott Milne and Adele Adams Matheson.[1] Soon after his birth, the family moved to Utah, settling first in Parowan before moving to Salt Lake City when his father became United States Attorney for the District of Utah.

Matheson graduated from Salt Lake City's East High School in 1946, earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Utah in 1950, and a law degree from Stanford University Law School in 1952. He operated a private law practice in Iron County, Utah, for five years before taking a position with Union Pacific Railroad in 1958. During his service with the railroad, he rose to the position of general counsel before making his 1976 run for governor.

In 1998, the Utah Supreme Court was moved into the Scott M. Matheson Courthouse building.

During his term as governor, Matheson was named the defendant in the U.S. Supreme Court case of H. L. v. Matheson, which upheld a state law requiring parental consent for a teenage girl to obtain an abortion.

In 1986, Matheson considered a bid for the U.S. Senate to challenge incumbent Orrin Hatch in 1988.[2] Despite leading in hypothetical polling, Matheson announced on May 29, 1987, that he would not run for the seat.[3]

Personal life and death

On August 25, 1951, he married Norma Louise Warenski, and the couple had four children.[1] One of his sons is former U.S. Congressman Jim Matheson. Another son, Scott Matheson Jr., was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Utah in the 2004 election and was appointed as a federal judge in 2010.

In 1989, Matheson was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare form of cancer believed to have been caused by radioactive fallout from nuclear testing in Nevada.[4] Scott Matheson died from the disease on October 7, 1990, at the age of 61. He was buried in Parowan City Cemetery in Parowan, Utah.

References

  1. ^ a b McCormick, John (1994), "Matheson, Scott M.", Utah History Encyclopedia, University of Utah Press, ISBN 9780874804256, archived from the original on September 14, 2023, retrieved September 4, 2024
  2. ^ "Matheson says he'll consider '88 senate bid". The Daily Herald. Associated Press. 1986-11-23. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  3. ^ Parker, Douglas J. (1987-05-30). "Matheson Won't Take On Hatch". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  4. ^ Gehrke, Robert (2019-07-29). "Norma Matheson, the 'godmother' of the Utah Democratic Party, dies at 89". Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2020-01-28.

Media related to Scott M. Matheson at Wikimedia Commons

Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Utah
1976, 1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Democratic Governors Association
1983 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Utah
1977–1985 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the National Governors Association
1982–1983 		Succeeded by