Hugh Gallen

Hugh J. Gallen ( born July 30, 1924 in Portland, Oregon, † 29 December 1982 in Boston, Massachusetts ) was an American politician and from 1979 to 1982 Governor of the State of New Hampshire.

Early years

In 1930, Gallen came with his family from Oregon to Medford, Massachusetts. There he attended high school. After leaving school he began a career as a professional player in baseball. However, this failed early on to an arm injury. In 1948 he began to work as a car salesman in Littleton and in 1964 he founded the dealership Hugh Gallen, Inc.

Political rise

Gallen was a member of the Democratic Party. Between 1962 and 1965 he was a member of the Planning Committee of the Littleton community. In 1967 he was a member of the National Council for medium-sized businesses ( National Advisory Council of the Small Business Administration ). In 1969, Gallen was Chairman of the New Hampshire - Vermont Development Committee. This office he held until 1972. Simultaneously, he was Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Littleton. Between 1967 and 1970, Gallen also director of the White Mountain Community Services, a non- profit organization to improve the medical care of mentally ill person.

From 1971 to 1972 Gall was then chairman of his party in New Hampshire and he was a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention. In 1973 he was elected as the first Democratic member of Littleton in the House of Representatives of New Hampshire, in 1978 he became the candidate of his party 's victory in the gubernatorial elections. He owed his election also a dispute within the Republican Party. There the incumbent Meldrim Thomson and former Governor Wesley Powell applied for the governorship and took votes from each other.

Governor of New Hampshire

Hugh Gallen took up his new position on January 4, 1979. Still in 1979, he used the National Guard to protect a nuclear plant against demonstrators. This was rewarded by the voters with his re-election in 1980 against the former governor Thomson. But then he came through wage demands in the public service under pressure. Gallen was willing to agree to a salary increase of 9 %. Dominated by the Republicans legislature did not want more than 6% approve. At the same time, the governor vetoed against the case brought by the legislative budget. Since he refused the same time to increase taxes, it was impossible for him to pay the collective agreement. This cost him in 1982, the target re-election. He was defeated by Republican candidate John Sununu.

Shortly after the election, but before the end of his term, diseased gall from a rare blood infection. The illness made it impossible for him to continue in the position until the regular end of his term. For this reason, it was on December 1, 1982, the President of the State Senate, Vesta M. Roy, used as Acting Governor until the inauguration of John Sununu. Gall himself did not live to the official end of his term in early January 1983. He died on 29 December 1982. Hugh Gallen was married to Irene Carbonneau.