Benjamin Baker Moeur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th Governor of Arizona | |
| In office January 2, 1933 – January 4, 1937 | |
| Preceded by | George W. P. Hunt |
| Succeeded by | Rawghlie C. Stanford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1869-12-22)December 22, 1869 Decherd, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | March 16, 1937(1937-03-16) (aged 67) Tempe, Arizona, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Profession | Physician |
Benjamin Baker Moeur (December 22, 1869 – March 16, 1937) was an American physician who served as thefourth governor of Arizona.[1]
Born inDecherd, Tennessee, Moeur attended medical school inLittle Rock, Arkansas. After graduating in 1896, Moeur moved to Tempe, Arizona and started a medical practice. He was a representative forMaricopa County at theState of Arizona Constitution Convention in 1910. He also served on the Tempe School Board and served as the Secretary of the Board of Education for Arizona State Teacher's College (the precursor toArizona State University) in Tempe.
During Moeur's governorship, he mobilized the ArizonaNational Guard to stop the construction onParker Dam, which was being built primarily to divert more water to theLos Angeles area. The mobilization was partly an embarrassment, as the troops arrived via an antiquatedsteamboat, which became stranded. Its troops were rescued by workers fromCalifornia working at the dam. Moeur's primary motive, however, was later vindicated by the United States Supreme Court when it ruled that California and the Bureau of Reclamation were constructing Parker Dam illegally because the dam had never been properly authorized. Subsequent legislation rectified this error and construction continued apace.[2]
Governor Moeur served two terms (1933–1937) and died 71 days after he left office. He died in Tempe, where he is buried at theDouble Butte Cemetery.
Moeur married Honor G. Anderson in 1896. His wife was the sister ofGuess Eleanor Birchett who was known as "the Bird Lady of Tempe".[3]
In 1939, as a WPA project, TempeNormal School (later known asArizona State University) constructed theB. B. Moeur Activity Building on the main Tempe campus. The building was originally the women's activity center, later being remodeled and used as the university's admissions office. The building now houses the Mars Space Flight Facility, aNASA-funded research center directed by Dr.Phil Christensen.[4]
Dr. Moeur has been honored since 1901 by the now Arizona State University via the Moeur Award. The Moeur Award is given to the student or students with the highest academic standing in terms of GPA, and is thus also considered the equivalent to a Valedictorian Award (which is not directly offered by Arizona State).[5]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Arizona 1932,1934 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Arizona 1933–1937 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
