Thomas Joseph Meskill

Thomas Joseph Meskill ( born January 30, 1928 in New Britain, Connecticut, † October 29, 2007 in Delray Beach, Florida) was an American lawyer and politician ( Republican). He was governor of the state of Connecticut and federal judges.

Early years and political rise

Meskill made ​​in 1950 his Bachelor of Science at Trinity College in Hartford. He then undertook during the Korean War with the United States Air Force and was discharged in 1953 as a First Lieutenant. He then enrolled at the Law School of the University of Connecticut, where in 1956 he received his law degree. He returned to New Britain to practice there. In 1958 he embarked on a political career, when he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Senate from Connecticut. The following year he ran for mayor of New Britain, but was narrowly defeated. However, he won his second campaign for mayor of his hometown, which he held from 1962 to 1964. Meskill was a candidate in 1966 for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served two terms remained after his successful election, before he applied for the post of governor of Connecticut.

Governor of Connecticut

Meskill was elected on January 6, 1971 for the Governor of Connecticut, where he prevailed with 53.8 percent of the vote to Democrat Emilio Q. Daddario. When he took office, the state had a deficit of 260 million dollars. He repaid until 1973 the deficit so that the exchequer then auswies additional revenue of $ 65 million. While Meskills tenure, the Department of Environmental Protection and created a state lottery system in place, what was his response to an income tax. He also worked at the National Governors' Conference Executive Committee. He left office on January 8, 1975.

Further CV

President Gerald Ford appointed him in 1975 as a judge on the federal appeals court for the second Federal District Court, where he served as the successor of J. Joseph Smith until 1993. During his last year as Judge Meskill had the position of Chief Judge held.