William N. Salin | |
|---|---|
 Salin circa 1968 | |
| Secretary of State of Indiana | |
| In office December 1, 1968 – December 1, 1970 | |
| Governor | Edgar Whitcomb |
| Preceded by | Edgar Whitcomb |
| Succeeded by | Larry Conrad |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1931-10-23)October 23, 1931 |
| Died | May 4, 2019(2019-05-04) (aged 87) Indianapolis, Indiana, US |
| Party | Republican Party[1] |
| Alma mater | Indiana University |
| Occupation | Attorney, Banker |
| Awards | Sagamore of the Wabash |
William Nathan Salin (October 23, 1931 – May 4, 2019) was an American attorney, banker, and politician who served as the 53rdsecretary of state of Indiana.
William Salin was born on October 23, 1931, and raised inAnderson, Indiana.[2][1] He graduated fromIndiana University School of Business in 1954, thereafter joining theUnited States Army.[2] Salin later received aJuris Doctor from theIndiana University School of Law.[2]
Early in his career, Salin worked as an associate at the law firm Findlay & Findlay inKendallville, Indiana, and later served as Kendallville'scity attorney.[2] After moving toFort Wayne, Indiana in 1962, Salin went to work for Indiana Bank.[2]
From 1968 to 1970, Salin served a single term as Indiana Secretary of State.[2][3] Though he had been uninvolved in politics up to that point, he was tapped by Indiana Republican Party bosses to fill the position as the party's nominee on the 1968 election ballot.[4] Indiana's constitutional officers at that time were informally selected through backroom dealing by the party bosses of the state's largest counties, with party leaders fromAllen County, Indiana being awarded the right to pick the Secretary of State in 1968.[4]Mark Souder explains that, "According to legend, [party boss] Orvas [Beers] and his key allies, including city chairman Allan McMahan, were sitting in his living room debating over the alternatives. Bill Salin was out mowing his lawn and one of them said, 'Hey, what about Bill?'"[4]
As Secretary of State, Salin aggressively campaigned againstpyramid schemes and oversaw the purge of tens of thousands of inactive corporations from the Indiana corporations registry.[5] A centrist, Salin was described in a 1970 article in theAnderson Herald as "at odds" with the conservative faction of theIndiana Republican Party and warned the party against "a swing to the right".[6][7] He lost reelection in 1970 to Larry Conrad.[6]
In 1972, Salin campaigned for theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 4th congressional district.[7] He failed to secure the Republican nomination and did not advance to the general election.[7]
Returning to private life, Salin became a partner at the Fort Wayne law firm of Kennerk, Dumas, Burke, Backs & Salin.[2] In 1983, he founded Salin Bank & Trust Company.[2]
Salin was twice decorated with theSagamore of the Wabash.[2] He served on the boards of directors of theIndiana Historical Society and the Indiana Symphony Orchestra.[8] Salin was a member of theUnited Methodist Church and, according to theIndianapolis Star, was a "voracious reader of the Bible".[2] He established an endowed scholarship atAnderson University for the children of ministers, and led a capital campaign to finance the construction of a sanctuary at St. Luke's United Methodist Church.[2]
Salin was married and, with his wife, had three children.[2] He died on May 4, 2019, of complications fromParkinson's disease.[2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Larry Conrad | 859,655 | 50.77 | |
| Republican | William N. Salin | 833,517 | 49.23 | |
| Total votes | 1,693,972 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William N. Salin | 1,073,160 | 53.76 | |
| Democratic | Stephen W. Crider | 923,056 | 46.24 | |
| Total votes | 1,996,216 | 100.0 | ||
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