Michael Anthony Stepovich
Encyclopedia
Michael Anthony "Mike" Stepovich (born March 12, 1919) is an American
lawyer who, from 1957 to 1958, served as the last Governor of Alaska Territory
. Following his education and military service during World War II
, Stepovich established a law practice in his home town of Fairbanks, Alaska
and began his political career by winning three terms in the Alaska Territorial legislature. During his term as governor, he was a leading advocate in the effort to gain statehood for Alaska. Following Alaska's admission to the union, he made an unsuccessful run for a U.S. Senate seat and two unsuccessful attempts to be elected Governor of Alaska.
on March 12, 1919. His parents divorced when he was 6 months old and his mother took him to Portland, Oregon
. There he was raised by his mother and stepfather. Stepovich was educated in parochial school
s and Portland's Columbia Preparatory School before enrolling at the University of Portland
in 1937. He graduated from Gonzaga University
with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1940 and from the University of Notre Dame
with a Bachelor of Laws
in 1943.
After completing his law degree, Stepovich enlisted in the United States Navy
and was assigned to Camp Parks' legal office. After three-and-a-half years of military service, he was discharged as a yeoman third class. Following his discharge in 1947, he returned to Portland for a short time to court his future wife before moving to Fairbanks, Alaska. In Fairbanks he took his bar examination
and was appointed city attorney
by the end of the year and establishing a private practice. Stepovich married Matilda Baricevic in November 1947. The marriage produced thirteen children: Antonia, Maria, Michael, Peter, Christopher, Dominic, Theodore, Nicholas, James, Laura, Nada, Andrea, and Melissa. Stepovich later became the father-in-law of former NBA
player John Stockton
.
Stepovich began his political career in 1950 when, running as a Republican
, he won a seat in the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives. Two year later he advanced to take a seat in the Alaska Territorial Senate. He remained in the senate for two terms, becoming the minority leader
in 1955.
Much of the new governor's term was spent lobbying for Alaskan statehood. In this effort he traveled widely through the Continental United States speaking and giving interviews on behalf of the territory. His efforts even included a January 19, 1958 appearance on the game show What's My Line?
.
President Eisenhower signed the Alaskan Statehood Bill on July 7, 1958. Following this event, Stepovich issued a proclamation setting the dates for primary
and general election
s to determine officeholders for the new state. The Territorial Governor then resigned on August 1, 1958 to run for a seat in the United States Senate
. Following his departure, Territorial Secretary
Waino Edward Hendrickson
succeeded as Acting Governor.
during a November 1958 special election. Despite the loss, he remained active in Alaskan politics for several more years. In 1960, Stepovich campaigned against a ballot initiative to move the state capital from Juneau to Anchorage. This was followed by a 1962 run for Governor of Alaska were Stepovich suffered a close loss to incumbent William Allen Egan
The former governor's final campaign came in 1966 when he lost to Wally Hickel during the 1966 Republican primary election for Governor of Alaska.
Following his unsuccessful senate run, Stepovich returned to his legal practice in Fairbanks. He remained there until 1978 when he and his wife relocated to Medford, Oregon
. Despite the move, the former governor still maintained his legal residence in Fairbanks. On November 25, 2003, Steopvich's wife, Matilda, died. The former governor was granted an honorary doctorate by the University of Alaska Fairbanks
on May 10, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer who, from 1957 to 1958, served as the last Governor of Alaska Territory
Alaska Territory
The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
. Following his education and military service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Stepovich established a law practice in his home town of Fairbanks, Alaska
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...
and began his political career by winning three terms in the Alaska Territorial legislature. During his term as governor, he was a leading advocate in the effort to gain statehood for Alaska. Following Alaska's admission to the union, he made an unsuccessful run for a U.S. Senate seat and two unsuccessful attempts to be elected Governor of Alaska.
Background
Stepovich was born to Michael and Olga (Barta) Stepovich in Fairbanks, AlaskaFairbanks, 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...
on March 12, 1919. His parents divorced when he was 6 months old and his mother took him to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. There he was raised by his mother and stepfather. Stepovich was educated in parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s and Portland's Columbia Preparatory School before enrolling at the University of Portland
University of Portland
The University of Portland is a private Roman Catholic university located in Portland, Oregon. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and is the sister school of the University of Notre Dame. Founded in 1901, UP has a student body of about 3,600 students...
in 1937. He graduated from Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1940 and from the University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Law School
The Notre Dame Law School, or NDLS, is the professional graduate law program of its parent institution, the University of Notre Dame. Established in 1869, NDLS is the oldest Roman Catholic law school in the United States. NDLS is ranked 22nd among the nation's "Top 100 Law Schools" by U.S. News &...
with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
in 1943.
After completing his law degree, Stepovich enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and was assigned to Camp Parks' legal office. After three-and-a-half years of military service, he was discharged as a yeoman third class. Following his discharge in 1947, he returned to Portland for a short time to court his future wife before moving to Fairbanks, Alaska. In Fairbanks he took his bar examination
Bar examination
A bar examination is an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction.-Brazil:...
and was appointed city attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
by the end of the year and establishing a private practice. Stepovich married Matilda Baricevic in November 1947. The marriage produced thirteen children: Antonia, Maria, Michael, Peter, Christopher, Dominic, Theodore, Nicholas, James, Laura, Nada, Andrea, and Melissa. Stepovich later became the father-in-law of former NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
player John Stockton
John Stockton
John Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
.
Stepovich began his political career in 1950 when, running as a Republican
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...
, he won a seat in the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives. Two year later he advanced to take a seat in the Alaska Territorial Senate. He remained in the senate for two terms, becoming the minority leader
Minority leader
In U.S. politics, the minority leader is the floor leader of the second largest caucus in a legislative body. Given the two-party nature of the U.S. system, the minority leader is almost inevitably either a Republican or a Democrat, with their counterpart being of the opposite party. The position...
in 1955.
Governorship
The appointment of Stepovich as Governor of Alaska Territory came as a result of a recommendation by US Secretary of the Interior Fred Seaton. Seaton had traveled to the territory to interview potential candidates following the resignation of Governor B. Frank Heintzleman. While the Fairbanks attorney had not applied for the position, Seaton was still impressed by him. President Dwight Eisenhower nominated Stepovich for the position on May 9, 1957 and he took office on June 5 as the territory's first native-born governor.Much of the new governor's term was spent lobbying for Alaskan statehood. In this effort he traveled widely through the Continental United States speaking and giving interviews on behalf of the territory. His efforts even included a January 19, 1958 appearance on the game show What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
.
President Eisenhower signed the Alaskan Statehood Bill on July 7, 1958. Following this event, Stepovich issued a proclamation setting the dates for primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
and general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
s to determine officeholders for the new state. The Territorial Governor then resigned on August 1, 1958 to run for a seat in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Following his departure, Territorial Secretary
Secretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
Waino Edward Hendrickson
Waino Edward Hendrickson
Waino Edward Hendrickson was an American Republican politician, the final Governor of the Territory of Alaska....
succeeded as Acting Governor.
Later life
Stepovich's bid for a United States Senate seat was unsuccessful, with the former governor losing to Ernest GrueningErnest Gruening
Ernest Henry Gruening was an American journalist and Democrat who was the Governor of the Alaska Territory from 1939 until 1953, and a United States Senator from Alaska from 1959 until 1969.-Early life:...
during a November 1958 special election. Despite the loss, he remained active in Alaskan politics for several more years. In 1960, Stepovich campaigned against a ballot initiative to move the state capital from Juneau to Anchorage. This was followed by a 1962 run for Governor of Alaska were Stepovich suffered a close loss to incumbent William Allen Egan
William Allen Egan
William Allen Egan was an American Democratic politician. He served as the first Governor of the State of Alaska from January 3, 1959 to 1966, and the fourth Governor from 1970 to 1974...
The former governor's final campaign came in 1966 when he lost to Wally Hickel during the 1966 Republican primary election for Governor of Alaska.
Following his unsuccessful senate run, Stepovich returned to his legal practice in Fairbanks. He remained there until 1978 when he and his wife relocated to Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
. Despite the move, the former governor still maintained his legal residence in Fairbanks. On November 25, 2003, Steopvich's wife, Matilda, died. The former governor was granted an honorary doctorate by 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....
on May 10, 2009.