Jack Coghill
Encyclopedia
John Bruce "Jack" Coghill (born September 24, 1925, in Fairbanks, Alaska
) was the eighth lieutenant governor of Alaska, serving from 1990 to 1994 under Governor Walter Hickel. Both were members of the Alaskan Independence Party
. Originally elected as the Republican Party
's lieutenant governor nominee in 1990, Coghill had faced serious compatibility issues with running mate Arliss Sturgulewski. AIP chair Joe Vogler
vacated his party's nominated slate of John Lindauer and Jerry Ward and replaced them with Hickel and Coghill. While Hickel turned his back on the AIP and their platform almost immediately after taking office, Coghill remained loyal to the party, even becoming their gubernatorial nominee in 1994. Prior to these events, Coghill was well known in Alaskan political circles as "Mr. Republican."
In his prior political career, he was best known by many for being the mayor of Nenana
in the interior of Alaska
for 22 years. Coghill also served in the territorial and state legislatures of Alaska for a number of years. He was elected to the territorial House in 1952 and again in 1956, representing the 4th District, which encompassed the interior and portions of southwestern Alaska. After statehood, he served as a senator in the first 3 state legislatures. Coghill ran unopposed in 1960, and did not run for re-election in 1964. He would be once again elected to the state Senate in 1984, and served until he resigned on December 3, 1990 to assume the post of lieutenant governor. Coghill was also elected to Alaska's constitutional convention, serving as one of the 55 Club (55 members wrote the constitution in 55 days) and his copy of the constitution hangs in Constitution Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks
in 2004.
He married Frances Peterson, from Fairbanks, and had six children: Patty, John, Jr.
(who succeeded him as a state legislator), twins Jerry and Jim, Paula, and Jeff. His father, William A. Coghill, emigrated to the United States from Scotland
and chose to come straight to Alaska. He was a pioneer who hiked to the Interior from Valdez
, worked as a printer for what is now the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
, and then opened a trading post in Nenana. The Coghill Store is still in operation and owned by the family.
Jack had two older brothers, William F. (Col. U.S. Army Ret. & former CFO Alaska Railroad) and Robert A. Sr. (deceased, managed Coghill's Store after the death of William A.), who also stayed in Alaska their entire lives.
Jack published his autobiography, "Growing up in Alaska" in 2009 describing his personal and political life in the 49th state.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks is a home rule city in and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska.Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska, and second largest in the state behind Anchorage...
) was the eighth lieutenant governor of Alaska, serving from 1990 to 1994 under Governor Walter Hickel. Both were members of the Alaskan Independence Party
Alaskan Independence Party
The Alaskan Independence Party is a political party in the U.S. state of Alaska that advocates an in-state referendum which includes the option of Alaska becoming an independent country...
. Originally elected as the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
's lieutenant governor nominee in 1990, Coghill had faced serious compatibility issues with running mate Arliss Sturgulewski. AIP chair Joe Vogler
Joe Vogler
Joseph E. "Joe" Vogler was the founder of the Alaskan Independence Party, and either its chair or gubernatorial nominee for most of its first two decades of existence...
vacated his party's nominated slate of John Lindauer and Jerry Ward and replaced them with Hickel and Coghill. While Hickel turned his back on the AIP and their platform almost immediately after taking office, Coghill remained loyal to the party, even becoming their gubernatorial nominee in 1994. Prior to these events, Coghill was well known in Alaskan political circles as "Mr. Republican."
In his prior political career, he was best known by many for being the mayor of Nenana
Nenana, Alaska
Nenana is a Home Rule City in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the Unorganized Borough of the U.S. state of Alaska. Nenana lies at the juncture of the Nenana River and the Tanana River. The population was 402 at the 2000 census. "Nenana" means 'a good place to camp between two rivers.'-History...
in the interior of Alaska
Alaska Interior
The Alaska Interior covers most of the U.S. state's territory. It is largely wilderness. Mountains include Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range, the Wrangell Mountains, and the Ray Mountains....
for 22 years. Coghill also served in the territorial and state legislatures of Alaska for a number of years. He was elected to the territorial House in 1952 and again in 1956, representing the 4th District, which encompassed the interior and portions of southwestern Alaska. After statehood, he served as a senator in the first 3 state legislatures. Coghill ran unopposed in 1960, and did not run for re-election in 1964. He would be once again elected to the state Senate in 1984, and served until he resigned on December 3, 1990 to assume the post of lieutenant governor. Coghill was also elected to Alaska's constitutional convention, serving as one of the 55 Club (55 members wrote the constitution in 55 days) and his copy of the constitution hangs in Constitution Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Alaska Fairbanks
The University of Alaska Fairbanks, located in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, is the flagship campus of the University of Alaska System, and is abbreviated as Alaska or UAF....
in 2004.
He married Frances Peterson, from Fairbanks, and had six children: Patty, John, Jr.
John Coghill
John Bruce Coghill, Jr. is a Republican member of the Alaska Senate, appointed to represent district F in 2009. He was first elected to the legislature as a state representative for district 32 in 1998...
(who succeeded him as a state legislator), twins Jerry and Jim, Paula, and Jeff. His father, William A. Coghill, emigrated to the United States from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and chose to come straight to Alaska. He was a pioneer who hiked to the Interior from Valdez
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, worked as a printer for what is now the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is a morning daily newspaper that serves the city of Fairbanks, Alaska, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the Denali Borough, and the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in the United States state of Alaska. It is the farthest north daily newspaper in the United States, and...
, and then opened a trading post in Nenana. The Coghill Store is still in operation and owned by the family.
Jack had two older brothers, William F. (Col. U.S. Army Ret. & former CFO Alaska Railroad) and Robert A. Sr. (deceased, managed Coghill's Store after the death of William A.), who also stayed in Alaska their entire lives.
Jack published his autobiography, "Growing up in Alaska" in 2009 describing his personal and political life in the 49th state.
External links
- Alaska's Digital Archives - Photo of Coghill as a delegate to the constitutional convention.
- Alaska's Digital Archives - Photo of Coghill during his first state senate tenure.
- Alaska's Digital Archives - Photo of Coghill during his second state senate tenure.
- Project Jukebox - Video of interview with Coghill, 1995, as he talks about the early days of Nenana.