George M. Leader

George Michael Leader ( born January 17, 1918 in York, Pennsylvania, † May 9, 2013 in Hershey, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician (Democratic Party). He was from 1955 to 1959 the 38th Governor of the state of Pennsylvania.

Early years

Leader George grew up on the poultry farm of his parents. He attended York High School and Gettysburg College. At the University of Pennsylvania, he studied philosophy, economics and political science. After college, he worked from 1939 in the accounting department of parental poultry farm. During the Second World War he served in the U.S. Navy aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

Political career

After the war leader again worked for the family business; but at the same time he began a political career. He was elected to the Democratic party and active at the local level in several positions. Between 1950 and 1954 he was a member of the Senate of Pennsylvania. In 1952, he competed unsuccessfully for the post of finance minister. In 1954 he was elected to the former Lieutenant Governor Lloyd H. Wood as the new governor.

Leader began his four -year term on 18 January 1955. In order to consolidate the budget, he increased some taxes. He modernized the administration and introduced a uniform accounting system in budgetary management. At the time, electronic computers were first used. The governor increased the education budget to improve the tense situation that had been triggered by the " baby boom " levels and the resulting larger school classes. He advocated for the racial equality and the protection of minorities. Hospitals, too, especially for the mentally handicapped, were reformed and improved. In the public sector, the so-called merit system has been introduced. Under this system, thousands of workers were evaluated according to their power and busy. This political influence in the administration should be reduced. Governor Leader opened the administration to the public. Records were, as far as it was possible, made ​​available to the public and the citizens were given the right to put questions to the local instances that this had to answer. After the expiration of his term of office was not allowed to run directly back Leader for constitutional reasons. Therefore, he resigned from his post on 20 January 1959.

Another Journey

In 1958, Leader applied unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Then he sought no further public office. He remained his party joined and has led to many political issues of the day taken a position. In the 1980s and 1990s, he has built with his family some nursing homes. These are also now run more of the family. George Leader last lived in Hummelstown. Together with his wife Mary Jane Strickler had the ex-governor four children.

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