| Mike O'Callaghan | |
|---|---|
| 23rd Governor of Nevada | |
| In office January 4, 1971 – January 1, 1979 |
|
| Lieutenant | Harry Reid (1971–1975) Robert E. Rose (1975–1979) |
| Preceded by | Paul Laxalt |
| Succeeded by | Robert List |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Donal Neil O'Callaghan September 10, 1929 La Crosse, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | March 5, 2004 (aged 74) Paradise, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Resting place | Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery Boulder City, Nevada, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Carolyn O'Callaghan (1935–2004, his death) |
| Alma mater | University of Idaho |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1944–1948 1950–1952 |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
| Awards | Bronze Star Silver Star Purple Heart |
Donal Neil "Mike" O'Callaghan (September 10, 1929 – March 5, 2004) was an American politician. He was the 23rd Governor of the U.S. state of Nevada from 1971 to 1979. He was a member of the Democratic Party.[1]
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Born in 1929 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, O'Callaghan lied about his age to join the Marines at 16 and served until 1948. In 1950 he joined the Air Force and served as an intelligence operator in the Aleutian Islands. He transferred to the Army in 1952 in order to see combat and lost part of his left leg after being hit by a mortar round during a battle in the Korean War. He was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star After his return to the United States, he became a high school teacher and boxing coach. He was Sen. Harry Reid's history teacher at Basic High School in Henderson, Nevada, and later promoted Reid's political career.
O'Callaghan's political career began in 1963, when then-Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer appointed him to head the new Department of Human Resources. In 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed O'Callaghan to be the regional director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness.
In 1966, O'Callaghan ran in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, but lost. In 1970, he received the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and won a surprising victory in the general election over his Republican opponent, Edward Fike. He proved to be an extremely popular governor and was reelected in 1974 by a four-to-one margin, the greatest landslide in a gubernatorial election in state history.
The last Nevada governor who was eligible for a third term, he chose not to run in 1978.[2] After he left office he became the executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun, a job he held until his death. He was also the publisher of the Henderson Home News and Boulder City News. In the 1990s he monitored elections in Nicaragua and northern Iraq, and was a strong supporter of Israel.
O'Callaghan died on March 5, 2004, of a heart attack at the age of 74, after collapsing during the morning mass hours at Saint Viator Catholic Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.[2][3]
O'Callaghan's legacy as Nevada politician and philanthropist survives through three structures that bear his name.Mike O'Callaghan Middle School opened on the east side of Las Vegas in 1991. The Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital is located on Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. A bridge that is a part of the highway bypass around the Hoover Dam, spanning the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona, bears O'Callaghan's name as well as that of former NFL player and Army veteran Pat Tillman. The Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge was completed in October 2010.[4]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Paul Laxalt |
Governor of Nevada 1971–1979 |
Succeeded by Robert List |
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