Thomas Salmon | |
|---|---|
 Salmon in 1975 | |
| 75thGovernor of Vermont | |
| In office January 4, 1973 – January 6, 1977 | |
| Lieutenant | John S. Burgess Brian D. Burns |
| Preceded by | Deane C. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Richard A. Snelling |
| Minority Leader of theVermont House of Representatives | |
| In office January 8, 1969 – January 5, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Leo O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Candon |
| Member of theVermont House of Representatives | |
| In office January 6, 1965 – January 5, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Clarence Coleman (Rockingham) |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Stack Randolph Major (13-1 district) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Paul Salmon (1932-08-19)August 19, 1932 Cleveland,Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | January 14, 2025(2025-01-14) (aged 92) Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 4 (includingTom) |
| Education | Boston College (BA,JD) New York University (LLM) |
Thomas Paul Salmon (August 19, 1932 – January 14, 2025) was an AmericanDemocratic Party politician who served as the75th governor of Vermont from 1973 to 1977.
Thomas P. Salmon was born inCleveland, Ohio, on August 19, 1932, the son of Thomas A. Salmon and Lucy M. (Conlon) Salmon.[1][2] He was raised inStow, Massachusetts, attended Stow High School, and graduated in 1950 fromHudson High School inHudson, Massachusetts.[1] He earned his undergraduate degree in history and government fromBoston College in 1954, and earned aJ.D. fromBoston College Law School in 1957.[1] He earned anLL.M. degree in taxation fromNew York University Law School in 1958.[3] Afteradmission to the bar, he settled inRockingham, Vermont, where he practiced law as a partner in the firm of Salmon and Nostrand.[1]
Salmon was active in the Catholic church[4] and belonged to theKnights of Columbus.[1] His other memberships included theAmerican Bar Association,Vermont Bar Association, andWindham County Bar Association.[1] His fraternal memberships included theElks andMoose.[1] Among Salmon's civic affiliations were Historic Windsor, Inc., Bellows Falls Area Development Corporation, Green Mountain Council ofBoy Scouts of America, Northeast Economic Action Council, andRotary Club.[1] He was a member of theRockingham, Vermont and served as chairman of the Windham County Democratic Committee.[1]
In August 1958, Salmon married Madeleine Gabrielle Savaria.[5] They were the parents of four children: Anne Marie, Marguerite, Thomas M., and Caroline.[1]Thomas M. Salmon served asVermont State Auditor from 2007 to 2013.[6] Thomas and Madeleine Salmon divorced in 1983,[7] and in 1984 he married Susan June Bisson.[8]
In 1960, Salmon became town counsel forRockingham, Vermont, and he served until 1972.[9] From 1963 to 1965, he served as judge of theBellows Falls municipal court.[10] He was a member of theVermont House of Representatives from Rockingham in 1965, and from District 13-1 for 1966, from 1967 to 1968 and from 1969 to 1971.[10] During his last term, he was House Minority Leader.[10] In 1970, he was the unsuccessful Democratic nominee forVermont Attorney General.[4]
In 1972, Salmon won an upset victory in the election for governor; he entered the race only a month before the September primary and only three months before thegeneral election.[11] During the campaign, Salmon capitalized on the widespread perception that out-of-state investors were overdeveloping the state's land with the slogan "Vermont Is Not For Sale."[12] Republicans won every other statewide office, but Salmon convincingly won the governorship.[12] In office, he shepherded passage of a land gains tax that was credited with slowing land speculation in Vermont.[12] He wonreelection in 1974, chaired the New England Governors' Conference for two years, and was a member of theNational Governors Association's Executive Committee.[3] Salmon was an unsuccessful candidate forU.S. Senator fromVermont in the1976 election, losing to the incumbentRobert Stafford.[3]
After leaving office, Salmon resumed practicing law.[12] In 1991, Salmon was appointed interim president of theUniversity of Vermont and served as the university's permanent president from 1993 to 1998.[12] Upon retiring from UVM, he practiced law inBellows Falls, Vermont. He also served as chairman of the board forGreen Mountain Power from 1983 to 2002.[13]
Salmon died inBrattleboro, Vermont, on January 14, 2025.[14]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Vermont House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Leo O'Brien | Minority Leader of theVermont House of Representatives 1969–1971 | Succeeded by Thomas Candon |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Whalen | Democratic nominee forAttorney General of Vermont 1970 | Succeeded by Richard Gadbois |
| Preceded by Leo O'Brien | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Vermont 1972,1974 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Randolph Major | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromVermont (Class 1) 1976 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Vermont 1973–1977 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
