Fred B. Balzar

Frederick Bennett " Fred" Balzar ( born June 15, 1880 in Virginia City, Nevada, † March 11, 1934 in Carson City, Nevada ) was an American politician and 1927-1934 Governor of the State of Nevada.

Early years and political rise

Frederick Balzar first attended the common schools and then the Polytechnic High School in San Francisco, California. In the following years he worked as a stagecoach driver, ranch workers and miners. He also worked on the railroad as a conductor and operating time as a butcher. Balzar was a member of the Republican Party. Between 1905 and 1906 he was a delegate in the House of Representatives from Nevada; 1909 to 1916 he was in the state Senate. From 1917 to 1926 Balzar worked as a sheriff and File Clerk ( County Assessor ) in Mineral County. In 1924 and 1925 he was also chairman of the Republicans in Nevada. As their candidate, he was elected in November 1926 as the new governor of his state.

Governor of Nevada

Balzar took up his new post on January 3, 1927. In 1930 he was elected to a second term. During his tenure, the financing of the Hoover dam was backed up and started the construction, which was completed in 1935. In 1931, gambling was legalized in Nevada. In addition, a new divorce law was passed and the National Guard reformed. His second term was overshadowed by the events of the Great Depression. Governor Balzar did not live to the end of his second term. He died on 11 March 1934 in his office in Carson City. He was married to Edna Idelle Sinnamon, with whom he had a child.