John M. Dalton
45th Governor of Missouri
In office
January 9, 1961 – January 11, 1965
LieutenantHilary A. Bush
Preceded byJames T. Blair Jr.
Succeeded byWarren E. Hearnes
34th Attorney General of Missouri
In office
1953–1961
GovernorPhil M. Donnelly (1953–1957)
James T. Blair, Jr. (1957–1961)
Preceded byJonathan E. "Buck" Taylor
Succeeded byThomas Eagleton
Personal details
Born(1900-11-09)November 9, 1900
Vernon County, Missouri, U.S.
DiedJuly 7, 1972(1972-07-07) (aged 71)
Jefferson City, Missouri, U.S.
Resting placeOak Ridge Cemetery
Kennett, Missouri
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseGeraldine Hall
ProfessionLawyer

John Montgomery Dalton (November 9, 1900 – July 7, 1972) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from the state of Missouri. He was the 45th Governor of Missouri and the state's 34th Attorney General.

Personal history

Dalton was born in rural Vernon County, Missouri, in 1900 to Frederick Alfred Dalton and Ida Jane Dunlap (née Poage) Dalton. He had three brothers and two sisters.[1] One brother, Sidna P. Dalton, would serve as Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. He received his secondary education at Columbia High School in Columbia, Missouri, and then attended the University of Missouri where he earned a law degree in 1923.[2]

After passing the Missouri Bar, he returned to southern Missouri, establishing a law practice in Kennett, where he also served as city attorney from 1944 to 1953.[3] John Dalton and his wife Geraldine were the parents of two children. Dalton died July 7, 1972, in Jefferson City, Missouri, and is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Kennett.

Political history

Dalton in 1963

John Dalton first entered statewide politics in 1952, running for and winning the first of two consecutive terms as Missouri Attorney General. In November 1960, Dalton won election to be Missouri's 45th Governor, his term running from January 9, 1961, to January 11, 1965.

Governor Dalton signed legislation requiring all passenger vehicles in Missouri to have seat belts and established a drivers license points system for traffic violations.[4] Other actions included securing funding for a new headquarters for the Missouri Highway Patrol, creation of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and furthering desegregation of Missouri schools.[3]

Honors

  • The Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Missouri is named for Dalton.[5]
  • A portion of U.S. Highway 412 in Dunklin County bears the name "Governor John M. Dalton Memorial Highway."[6]
  • Gov. Dalton was a Master mason, serving as Grand Orator for the Grand Lodge of Missouri.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Missouri". daltondatabank.org.
  2. ↑ John M. Dalton profile, Nndb.com; retrieved October 12, 2011.
  3. 1 2 Archived June 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Daily Dunklin Democrat: Local News: Part of US 412 now 'Gov. John M. Dalton Memorial Highway' (06/29/05). Dddnews.com (June 29, 2005). Retrieved on October 12, 2011.
  5. ↑ MU in Brick and Mortar - Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center Archived July 16, 2012, at archive.today. Umcspace.missouri.edu. Retrieved on October 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ Section 227-358 Governor John M. Dalton Memorial Highway Archived August 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Moga.mo.gov (August 28, 2010). Retrieved on October 12, 2011.
  7. ↑ The Political Graveyard - Freemasons, retrieved December 10, 2012
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