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Frank O'Bannon
In office
January 1997 – September 13, 2003
Lieutenant Joseph Kernan
Preceded by Evan Bayh
Succeeded by Joseph Kernan
Born January 30, 1930(1930-01-30)
Louisville, Kentucky
Died September 13, 2003
Chicago, Illinois
Political party Democratic
Spouse Judy O'Bannon
Profession Newspaper Owner

Frank Lewis O'Bannon (January 30, 1930 - September 13, 2003) was an American politician who was Governor of Indiana from 1997 until his death in 2003. List of Governors of Indiana Territory List of Governors of the State of Indiana Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Lieutenant Governor of Indiana is elected on the same ticket as the Governor in a statewide election every four years Joseph Eugene Kernan (born April 8, 1946) widely known as Joe Kernan, is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana Joseph Eugene Kernan (born April 8, 1946) widely known as Joe Kernan, is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Judy O'Bannon is the wife of the late Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the List of Governors of Indiana Territory List of Governors of the State of Indiana The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union

Contents

Background

O'Bannon was a native of Corydon, Indiana (the first state capital of Indiana), where his family owned the Corydon Democrat, the town's newspaper. Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States and a former capital of the State of Indiana In countries with federal Constitutions divided into subnational entities known as states, the state capital is the administrative center He attended Indiana University, where he played one season of basketball for the Hoosiers (a team also featuring IU's first African-American player, Bill Garrett). Indiana University is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. He earned a B. A. in government in 1952, and a J.D. in 1957 from the Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington. Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional The Indiana University School of Law — Bloomington is a Law school located in Bloomington, Indiana.

He also spent two years in the United States Air Force. While at IU, he met his wife, Judith (Asmus) O'Bannon, and they were married in 1958. Following law school, he served as a county seat lawyer, was chairman of the board of the family newspaper publishing firm (a position he held until the time of his death), and a member of the board of the Corydon Savings and Loan.

Politics Before Governor

First elected to the state senate in 1969-70 to a seat occupied by his father, Robert P. O'Bannon from 1950-1970, he was the primary sponsor of legislation reintroducing the death penalty. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment. He rose to the rank of Senate Minority Leader among Democrats during his tenure in the legislative body. He served one two-year stint as chair of the Senate Finance Committee following a short-lived Democratic majority. He launched his first campaign for governor in May 1987 from Corydon, Indiana and initially faced off against then-Secretary of State Evan Bayh and Kokomo Mayor Steve Daly. O'Bannon abandoned his own bid for governor in January 1988 and joined forces with Bayh and won election as lieutenant governor in November 1988. His candidacy for lieutenant governor matched that of his grandfather, Lew M. O'Bannon, who was the 1924 Democratic nominee for the state's second highest office. As LG, he presided as President of the State Senate, served as the state's Director of Commerce and Commissioner of Agriculture.

Governor

In 1996 O'Bannon ran for governor. He overcame an early deficit in the polls against his Republican opponent, Indianapolis mayor Stephen Goldsmith and won in a close race, 52% to 47%. Stephen "Steve" Goldsmith (born December 12, 1946) is the former Mayor of Indianapolis and currently serves as the Chair of the Corporation He was re-elected by a larger margin, 57% to 42%, in 2000 against second district Congressman David M. McIntosh. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. David Martin McIntosh (born June 8, 1958) is a lawyer who served as a Republican representative from Indiana from January

During the boom years of the 1990s, when Indiana amassed a record $2 billion surplus, O'Bannon was able to cut taxes by $1. 5 billion, hire 500 more police officers in the state and win increased funding for schools and extended health insurance for poor families. In 2000 he won an easy re-election bid under the theme of "Keeping Indiana Moving in the Right Direction. "

After the 9/11 disaster and subsequent market downturn, Indiana lost 120,000 jobs, tax revenues dropped, and O'Bannon had to cut social services and other services in order to spare education. In 2001 he worked with the state legislature to formulate a major restructuring of the state tax system. His opponents blamed him for various problems arising in the second term, including a slow response by his environmental agency to a big fish kill, and problems at two state centers for the developmentally disabled. Developmental disability is a term used to describe life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical or combination of mental and physical impairments

His record, however, was firmly established as an educational leader for the state. He helped lead development of Indiana's first community college system, pushed for early-childhood learning opportunities, development of alternative high schools, and charter schools. His work as chair of the state's landmark "Education Roundtable" ensured that Indiana was one of only five states whose schools immediately qualified as meeting all standards set by the federal "No Child Left Behind" act upon enactment.

Death and legacy

O'Bannon suffered a massive stroke on September 8, 2003, while he was in Chicago, Illinois attending the U. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. S. Midwest-Japan trade conference. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he remained unconscious. Northwestern University|Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH is part of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University

On September 10, 2003, the Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, B. Indiana House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U Patrick Bauer, and the State President Pro Tem, Robert D. Garton, sent a letter to the Indiana Supreme Court noting that Governor O'Bannon was incapacitated and unable to fulfill the duties of his office. The Supreme Court of Indiana is the state supreme court of Indiana. As such, the court approved naming Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan as Acting Governor. Joseph Eugene Kernan (born April 8, 1946) widely known as Joe Kernan, is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana

Days later, O'Bannon's condition worsened and based on his living will, his family decided to use no further means of support and care. Advance health care directives or advance directives are instructions given by individuals specifying what actions should be taken for their health in the event that they are He died on September 13, 2003, aged 73, leaving behind his wife Judy (Asmus), three children (Polly, Jennifer and Jonathan) and five grandchildren. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

He was succeeded by Acting Governor Joe Kernan, who was sworn into office just hours after O'Bannon's death.

O'Bannon is the subject of a 2006 biography, Legacy of a Governor: The Life of Indiana's Frank O'Bannon. The book, written by former O'Bannon staffer Andrew Stoner, contains a foreword by his wife, Judy O'Bannon. The book was published by Rooftop Publishing, Inc. of Bloomington, Indiana.

The Frank O'Bannon Public Service Award is given annually. The 2007 winner was former State Senator Wayne Townsend of Hartford City, the Democratic candidate for governor in 1984. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. W Wayne Townsend (born 1926 is a Hartford City Farmer and Democratic Politician from the U Hartford City is a city in Blackford County, Indiana, United States. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar)

External links

Link to O'Bannon biography written by Andrew Stoner: [[1]]

Preceded by
John M. Mutz		 Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
1989-1997		 Succeeded by
Joe Kernan
Preceded by
Evan Bayh		 Governor of Indiana
1997-2003		 Succeeded by
Joe Kernan

Indianapolis Star biography of O'Bannon: [[2]]

The Lieutenant Governor of Indiana is elected on the same ticket as the Governor in a statewide election every four years Joseph Eugene Kernan (born April 8, 1946) widely known as Joe Kernan, is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana List of Governors of Indiana Territory List of Governors of the State of Indiana Joseph Eugene Kernan (born April 8, 1946) widely known as Joe Kernan, is an American politician who became the Governor of Indiana
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