Robert Finch | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1967 | |
| Counselor to the President | |
| In office June 23, 1970 – December 15, 1972 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Bryce Harlow Pat Moynihan |
| Succeeded by | Anne Armstrong |
| 8thUnited States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare | |
| In office January 21, 1969 – June 23, 1970 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Wilbur J. Cohen |
| Succeeded by | Elliot Richardson |
| 38thLieutenant Governor of California | |
| In office January 2, 1967 – January 21, 1969 | |
| Governor | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Glenn M. Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Reinecke |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Hutchinson Finch (1925-10-09)October 9, 1925 Tempe, Arizona, U.S. |
| Died | October 10, 1995(1995-10-10) (aged 70) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Carol Crothers (m. 1946) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Occidental College (BA) University of Southern California (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1951–1953 |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Robert Hutchinson Finch (October 9, 1925 – October 10, 1995) was aRepublican politician fromLa Canada Flintridge, California. From 1967 to 1969, he served as the 38thlieutenant governor of California. FollowingRichard Nixon'spresidential campaign in 1968, he was appointedSecretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1969. He was theCounselor to the President from 1970 until 1972. During the1976 California United States Senate election, he lost in the Republican primary toS.I. Hayakawa.
Finch was born inTempe, Arizona. He was the son ofRobert L. Finch, a member of theArizona House of Representatives, and his wife, Gladys Hutchinson. Finch was enlisted in theMarine Corps duringWorld War II. He married the former Carol Crothers on February 14, 1946; they had three daughters and one son: Maureen F. Shaw, Kevin Finch, Priscilla Finch and Cathleen F. Morser.[1]
After serving in the Marines briefly during World War II, Finch enteredOccidental College in Los Angeles, where he graduated in 1947 with a bachelor's degree. After the graduation from Occidental College in 1947,[2] went to Washington, D.C., where he worked as an administrative aide CongressmanNorris Poulson, representative from California. During this time, he met and became friendly with freshman Congressman and future president Richard Nixon.[1] Partly at Nixon's suggestion, Mr. Finch returned to California to study law at theUniversity of Southern California, where he took hisLL.B. degree in 1951.
He had worked on the Norris Poulson election campaign in 1946, and on Nixon's campaign in 1948.[3] He returned to Southern California and earned hisLL.B at theUniversity of Southern California Law School in 1951.[4]
He was a Marine officer during theKorean War from 1951 to 1953.[4][5] He ran for theCongress unsuccessfully in1952 and in1954 againstDemocratCecil R. King,[6] who practiced law inPasadena, and was the chairman of the Los Angeles County Republican Central Committee, from 1956 to 1958.[3] He returned toWashington as Vice-president Nixon's aide in 1958.[6]
He was Nixon'scampaign manager in the1960 presidential campaign, againstMassachusettsSenatorJohn F. Kennedy.
In 1964, Finch managedU.S. Sen.George Murphy's victorious campaign overPierre Salinger.[3] In 1966, Finch was elected the38th lieutenant governor of California. He received more votes thanRonald Reagan, who was electedgovernor of California at the same time. In 1968, Finch was the senior adviser in Nixon's presidential campaign and was appointed Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. In 1970, Finch left the HEW to be Counselor to the President. He left the White House on December 15, 1972,[3] to practice law in Pasadena, and he stayed involved in the Republican politics. Even though Finch had no involvement in theWatergate scandal, references to it dimmed his efforts for elective office.[3]
He was an unsuccessful primary candidate forU.S. Senate in the 1976 California election againstS.I. Hayakawa, who went on to win the general election.[6]During the1968 presidential election, Finch was Nixon's first choice as his vice presidential running mate,[7] but Finch declined and Nixon then choseGovernor of MarylandSpiro Agnew. A Nixon-Finch ticket was possible because, although Nixon was born in California, and had represented California in Congress, during the 1968 election he was a resident of New York, so California's electors could have cast their votes for both men. If both had been California residents at the time, California's electors could have voted for only one of them.
Following Nixon's election, Finch was given his choice in the new Cabinet, and he selected Secretary of HEW because of his long interest in health and education issues. Finch was more liberal than Nixon, especially on social issues, but political differences never affected their long and close relationship, with the two staying in contact until Nixon's death in April 1994.
Finch died of aheart attack, in Pasadena, California, on October 10, 1995, a day after his 70th birthday. He is interred inForest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.[8]
Robert Finch was born in Tempe, Arizona. After being admitted to the California bar, Finch practiced law until 1958 when he went back to Washington as administrative assistant to Vice-President Nixon. In 1960, Mr. Finch managed Vice-President Nixon's unsuccessful campaign for President of the United States. In 1966, he was elected as Lieutenant Governor of California, serving under Governor Ronald Reagan until 1969, when he accepted a post in the Nixon Cabinet as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, a position he held until 1970.
The Alumni Seal Award, the highest honor presented by the Alumni Association, was established in 1965 to pay tribute to alumni who, through concern for their profession, community or College, have distinguished themselves and thereby brought honor to Occidental College
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of California 1967–1969 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare 1969–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Counselor to the President 1970–1972 Served alongside:Donald Rumsfeld | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | ||
| Health, education, and welfare |   | |
|---|---|---|
| Health and human services | ||
