Simon Bamberger
Encyclopedia
Simon Bamberger was the fourth Governor of Utah
(1917–1921) after it achieved statehood from territorial status in 1896. Bamberger bears the distinction of being the first non-Mormon
, the first Democrat
, and the first and to date only Jew to be elected Governor of the State of Utah. He was also the third Jew ever elected governor anywhere in the United States, after Washington Montgomery Bartlett
of California and Moses Alexander
of Idaho.
, Hesse-Darmstadt
, Germany
, Simon Bamberger was the son of Emanuel Bamberger and the former Helen Fleisch. He emigrated to the United States at the age of fourteen, shortly before the American Civil War
broke out. Landing in New York City, he embarked on a train to Cincinnati, Ohio
. This was a logical destination, because Cincinnati was one of the leading centers of German life in the United States at the time. However, Bamberger missed the connection at Columbus
and ended up in Indianapolis
, Indiana
and, then Terre Haute, Indiana
. He remained there until the Civil War ended in 1865, at which point he relocated to St. Louis
, Missouri
--perhaps not coincidentally, also a major focal point of German immigrants—and established a garment manufacturing company with his brother Herman. A few years later, while in Wyoming to collect a debt, Bamberger got word that the business had failed. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he struck out for Utah, which at that time was still a territory and barely settled.
Bamberger married the former Ida Maas in 1881. They had four children.
, not far from Salt Lake City. A short time later, an outbreak of smallpox
resulted in a quarantine
that forced the Union Pacific Railroad
to bypass the town, so Bamberger moved on to Salt Lake itself, where he operated the Delmonico Hotel with a partner. In 1872, Bamberger invested in a silver mine, the Centennial Eureka Mine in Juab County. A major vein of silver was struck two years later, making Bamberger a millionaire; for a brief time, he contemplated retiring, but soon got involved in building railroads. He opened various lines linking Salt Lake City to mining operations, but the ventures lost a substantial amount of money, and during this period also built Lagoon
, a large amusement park in Farmington, Utah
. Another notable venture Bamberger pursued was the establishment of a Jewish agricultural colony in Clarion, Utah
. These were the years of the nascent Zionist movement spearheaded by Theodor Herzl
, also a German Jew. Herzl believed that Jews, hitherto stigmatized as a rootless, wandering people, urgently needed to get in touch with the soil and develop the agricultural skills that centuries of restrictions in Europe had kept from them. It is quite possible that these ideas influenced Bamberger; unfortunately, however, despite Bamberger's fundraising efforts between 1913 and 1915, the community folded.
s abandoned operations prior to the start of World War II. The Bamberger, however, survived to the mid 1950s due to a good freight business. It had purchased five modern high speed Brill Company Bullet
cars in 1938 to improve schedules and hold its passenger business. During WW2, it constructed new trackage to an army base where it had extensive business. The Bamberger stopped operations in 1955.
as a progressively-oriented Democrat, and won re-election repeatedly. During his time in the legislature, he obtained a reputation as a witty man with a marked capability for achieving substantive results.
In 1912, however, Bamberger was defeated for re-election to the state senate. Four years later, he briefly contemplated running for the United States Senate
, since popular election of senators had recently been introduced by means of the 17th Amendment
to the United States Constitution
in 1913. Instead, he opted to run for Governor.
Being Jewish, as it turned out, was not a fatal handicap for Bamberger, but at first wasn't exactly an asset, either. An anti-Semitic flyer bearing a caricature
depicting Bamberger with an exaggerated large nose circulated widely, although eventually a majority of leading citizens publicly condemned it. Then the tide turned in Bamberger's favor, thanks in no small degree to his wit and humor. When making a campaign stop at a community of Norwegian immigrants who had converted to Mormonism, Bamberger initially encountered some resistance from the town's leader, who declared that the community wouldn't deign to consider any "damned Gentile
." (At the time, some Mormons referred to all non-Mormons as "Gentiles," regardless of their religion. See Mormonism and Judaism
for more details.) Without missing a beat, Bamberger answered, "As a Jew, I've been called many a bad name, but this is the first time in my life that I've been called a 'damned Gentile'!" The Norwegian Mormons then embraced Bamberger, declaring him to be an "Israelite." This way of perceiving Bamberger began to spread statewide, putting anti-Semitism out of the equation altogether.
During the election campaign, Brigham H. Roberts, a member of The Council of the Seventy
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), threw his support to Bamberger and called for an end to selecting candidates on the basis of church affiliation. In the primary election
, Bamberger defeated Alfred W. McCune
, a mine owner. In the general election, the Republican opponent, Nephi L. Morris, made Prohibition
the focal point of his campaign; but Bamberger, himself a teetotaler won easily after pledging unequivocally that he would sign a Prohibition bill.
led by former President Theodore Roosevelt
. The touchstones of Progressivism
included regulation of industry in the public interest, women's suffrage, restrictions on child labor and the length of the workday, public education—as well as Prohibition, which in those days was inextricably linked with the women's movement.
Accordingly, under Bamberger's leadership, the legislature passed a wide variety of legislation: a Corrupt Practices Act, to control cronyism
and kickbacks from utility companies to public officials, and a Labor Organization Act, acknowledging labor's right to unionize (the Federal Government did not enact such legislation until it passed the Wagner Act of 1935). Bamberger's administration was at the vanguard of modern legislation in other ways as well: in addition to fulfilling his pledge to sign a statewide Prohibition bill before the 18th Amendment
was ratified nationwide, he brought Utah to the forefront of securities
regulation. He pushed through legislation that prefigured some of the most significant, far-reaching 20th-century reforms in the United States. By establishing a commission to register and regulate securities in Utah, Bamberger's administration was nearly fifteen years ahead of the United States Government, which enacted such laws—the Glass–Steagall Act of 1932, the Banking Act of 1933, the Securities Act of 1933
and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
--only when the exigency of the Great Depression
forced it to do so. Bamberger, on the other hand, saw the need for such regulation as a general principle. He also signed laws establishing Workers' Compensation
and a state industrial commission to administer it, compulsory high school attendance, and a mine tax that actually contravened his own financial interest. He urged bond passages to improve the state's road network, and convened a special session of the Legislature to ratify the 19th Amendment
to the United States Constitution, which passed in 1920 guaranteeing women's suffrage.
Other reforms instituted by Bamberger included the creation of a public health department and a public utilities commission to regulate the price of gas and electricity; a modified line-item veto to assist the governor in curbing pork barrel
politics; popular election of judges on a nonpartisan basis; a longer school year; and a water rights commission to supervise water usage in residential development of hitherto rural areas, an especially crucial issue in any Western state.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
(1917–1921) after it achieved statehood from territorial status in 1896. Bamberger bears the distinction of being the first non-Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
, the first Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and the first and to date only Jew to be elected Governor of the State of Utah. He was also the third Jew ever elected governor anywhere in the United States, after Washington Montgomery Bartlett
Washington Bartlett
Washington Montgomery Bartlett was the 20th Mayor of San Francisco, California from 1883–1887 and was California's first and to date only Jewish Governor of California.- Life and career :...
of California and Moses Alexander
Moses Alexander
Moses Alexander was the second elected Jewish governor of a US state , serving as the 11th Governor of Idaho from 1915 until 1919. He was Idaho's first and so far only Jewish Governor....
of Idaho.
Early years
Born in Darmstadt-EberstadtDarmstadt-Eberstadt
Eberstadt is a borough of the urban district Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany with a population of 21,687 . It is Darmstadt's southernmost suburb.-Geography:...
, Hesse-Darmstadt
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Simon Bamberger was the son of Emanuel Bamberger and the former Helen Fleisch. He emigrated to the United States at the age of fourteen, shortly before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
broke out. Landing in New York City, he embarked on a train to Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. This was a logical destination, because Cincinnati was one of the leading centers of German life in the United States at the time. However, Bamberger missed the connection at Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and ended up in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and, then Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
. He remained there until the Civil War ended in 1865, at which point he relocated to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
--perhaps not coincidentally, also a major focal point of German immigrants—and established a garment manufacturing company with his brother Herman. A few years later, while in Wyoming to collect a debt, Bamberger got word that the business had failed. Figuring he had nothing to lose, he struck out for Utah, which at that time was still a territory and barely settled.
Bamberger married the former Ida Maas in 1881. They had four children.
Utah entrepreneur
Bamberger began operating a small hotel in Ogden, UtahOgden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
, not far from Salt Lake City. A short time later, an outbreak of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
resulted in a quarantine
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
that forced the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
to bypass the town, so Bamberger moved on to Salt Lake itself, where he operated the Delmonico Hotel with a partner. In 1872, Bamberger invested in a silver mine, the Centennial Eureka Mine in Juab County. A major vein of silver was struck two years later, making Bamberger a millionaire; for a brief time, he contemplated retiring, but soon got involved in building railroads. He opened various lines linking Salt Lake City to mining operations, but the ventures lost a substantial amount of money, and during this period also built Lagoon
Lagoon Amusement Park
Lagoon is an amusement park in Farmington, Utah, United States located about seventeen miles north of Salt Lake City. It is privately owned...
, a large amusement park in Farmington, Utah
Farmington, Utah
Farmington is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,255 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Davis County...
. Another notable venture Bamberger pursued was the establishment of a Jewish agricultural colony in Clarion, Utah
Clarion, Utah
Clarion is a ghost town in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. Lying about southwest of Gunnison, Clarion was the site of a brief, early-twentieth century experiment in Jewish rural living...
. These were the years of the nascent Zionist movement spearheaded by Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl
Theodor Herzl , born Benjamin Ze’ev Herzl was an Ashkenazi Jew Austro-Hungarian journalist and the father of modern political Zionism and in effect the State of Israel.-Early life:...
, also a German Jew. Herzl believed that Jews, hitherto stigmatized as a rootless, wandering people, urgently needed to get in touch with the soil and develop the agricultural skills that centuries of restrictions in Europe had kept from them. It is quite possible that these ideas influenced Bamberger; unfortunately, however, despite Bamberger's fundraising efforts between 1913 and 1915, the community folded.
Bamberger's Interurban Railroad
Bamberger constructed a railroad, the Salt Lake and Ogden, from Salt Lake City to Ogden in 1908. In 1910 it was converted to electric operation. Eventually the family name was adopted as the Corporate name, and it became the Bamberger Railroad. An amusement park and lake were constructed midway between the namesake towns to attract riders and increase business, particularly during the summer months. The Bamberger had good freight business even though it directly competed with the Union Pacific Railroad. Due to the impact of the Depression coupled with the growing use of automobiles riding on new state highways, most U.S. interurbanInterurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
s abandoned operations prior to the start of World War II. The Bamberger, however, survived to the mid 1950s due to a good freight business. It had purchased five modern high speed Brill Company Bullet
Bullet (interurban)
The Bullet was a high-speed interurban railcar produced by J. G. Brill and Company in Philadelphia for the Philadelphia and Western Railroad in 1931, and then the Fonda, Johnstown and Gloversville Railroad in 1932. Few were sold because of the Great Depression and the public transport decline in...
cars in 1938 to improve schedules and hold its passenger business. During WW2, it constructed new trackage to an army base where it had extensive business. The Bamberger stopped operations in 1955.
Political ascent
During all this time, Bamberger had also been getting increasingly involved with politics. He began on the local level, serving on the Salt Lake City Board of Education between 1898 and 1903. A firm believer in universal, free and public education, Bamberger at one point donated some of his own money in order to keep the public school system solvent. In 1902, he ran for the Utah State SenateUtah State Senate
The Utah State Senate is the upper house of the Utah State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. The Senate is composed of 29 elected members representing an equal number of constituent senatorial districts. Each senatorial district is composed of approximately 91,000 people...
as a progressively-oriented Democrat, and won re-election repeatedly. During his time in the legislature, he obtained a reputation as a witty man with a marked capability for achieving substantive results.
In 1912, however, Bamberger was defeated for re-election to the state senate. Four years later, he briefly contemplated running for 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...
, since popular election of senators had recently been introduced by means of the 17th Amendment
Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution established direct election of United States Senators by popular vote. The amendment supersedes Article I, § 3, Clauses 1 and 2 of the Constitution, under which senators were elected by state legislatures...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
in 1913. Instead, he opted to run for Governor.
Being Jewish, as it turned out, was not a fatal handicap for Bamberger, but at first wasn't exactly an asset, either. An anti-Semitic flyer bearing a caricature
Caricature
A caricature is a portrait that exaggerates or distorts the essence of a person or thing to create an easily identifiable visual likeness. In literature, a caricature is a description of a person using exaggeration of some characteristics and oversimplification of others.Caricatures can be...
depicting Bamberger with an exaggerated large nose circulated widely, although eventually a majority of leading citizens publicly condemned it. Then the tide turned in Bamberger's favor, thanks in no small degree to his wit and humor. When making a campaign stop at a community of Norwegian immigrants who had converted to Mormonism, Bamberger initially encountered some resistance from the town's leader, who declared that the community wouldn't deign to consider any "damned Gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
." (At the time, some Mormons referred to all non-Mormons as "Gentiles," regardless of their religion. See Mormonism and Judaism
Mormonism and Judaism
The doctrines of the Latter Day Saint movement, commonly referred to as Mormonism, teach that its adherents, Latter-day Saints, are either direct descendants of the House of Israel, or are adopted into it. As such, Judaism is foundational to the history of Mormonism; Jews are considered a covenant...
for more details.) Without missing a beat, Bamberger answered, "As a Jew, I've been called many a bad name, but this is the first time in my life that I've been called a 'damned Gentile'!" The Norwegian Mormons then embraced Bamberger, declaring him to be an "Israelite." This way of perceiving Bamberger began to spread statewide, putting anti-Semitism out of the equation altogether.
During the election campaign, Brigham H. Roberts, a member of The Council of the Seventy
Quorums of the Seventy
Seventy is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of several denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), threw his support to Bamberger and called for an end to selecting candidates on the basis of church affiliation. In the primary election
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....
, Bamberger defeated Alfred W. McCune
Alfred W. McCune
Alfred William McCune was an American railroad builder, mine operator, and politician from the state of Utah. Owner of several retail and construction businesses, he helped build the Montana Central Railway in Montana and a portion of the Utah Southern Railroad in Utah, founded the Utah and...
, a mine owner. In the general election, the Republican opponent, Nephi L. Morris, made Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
the focal point of his campaign; but Bamberger, himself a teetotaler won easily after pledging unequivocally that he would sign a Prohibition bill.
A progressive governor
Bamberger's governorship, despite lasting only a single term, was marked by a record of legislative achievement impressive by any standards. Having inherited a large budget deficit, he immediately called for an audit of all state agencies and recovered a million dollars in misallocated funds, a considerable sum at the time. Fortunate enough to have the cooperation of a Democratic majority in the legislature, Bamberger embarked on an ambitious reform agenda closely mirroring that of the Progressive PartyProgressive Party (United States, 1912)
The Progressive Party of 1912 was an American political party. It was formed after a split in the Republican Party between President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt....
led by former President Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. The touchstones of Progressivism
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
included regulation of industry in the public interest, women's suffrage, restrictions on child labor and the length of the workday, public education—as well as Prohibition, which in those days was inextricably linked with the women's movement.
Accordingly, under Bamberger's leadership, the legislature passed a wide variety of legislation: a Corrupt Practices Act, to control cronyism
Cronyism
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy....
and kickbacks from utility companies to public officials, and a Labor Organization Act, acknowledging labor's right to unionize (the Federal Government did not enact such legislation until it passed the Wagner Act of 1935). Bamberger's administration was at the vanguard of modern legislation in other ways as well: in addition to fulfilling his pledge to sign a statewide Prohibition bill before the 18th Amendment
Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Eighteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution established Prohibition in the United States. The separate Volstead Act set down methods of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment, and defined which "intoxicating liquors" were prohibited, and which were excluded from prohibition...
was ratified nationwide, he brought Utah to the forefront of securities
Security (finance)
A security is generally a fungible, negotiable financial instrument representing financial value. Securities are broadly categorized into:* debt securities ,* equity securities, e.g., common stocks; and,...
regulation. He pushed through legislation that prefigured some of the most significant, far-reaching 20th-century reforms in the United States. By establishing a commission to register and regulate securities in Utah, Bamberger's administration was nearly fifteen years ahead of the United States Government, which enacted such laws—the Glass–Steagall Act of 1932, the Banking Act of 1933, the Securities Act of 1933
Securities Act of 1933
Congress enacted the Securities Act of 1933 , in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929 and during the ensuing Great Depression...
and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 , , codified at et seq., is a law governing the secondary trading of securities in the United States of America. It was a sweeping piece of legislation...
--only when the exigency of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
forced it to do so. Bamberger, on the other hand, saw the need for such regulation as a general principle. He also signed laws establishing Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence...
and a state industrial commission to administer it, compulsory high school attendance, and a mine tax that actually contravened his own financial interest. He urged bond passages to improve the state's road network, and convened a special session of the Legislature to ratify the 19th Amendment
Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits any United States citizen to be denied the right to vote based on sex. It was ratified on August 18, 1920....
to the United States Constitution, which passed in 1920 guaranteeing women's suffrage.
Other reforms instituted by Bamberger included the creation of a public health department and a public utilities commission to regulate the price of gas and electricity; a modified line-item veto to assist the governor in curbing pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
politics; popular election of judges on a nonpartisan basis; a longer school year; and a water rights commission to supervise water usage in residential development of hitherto rural areas, an especially crucial issue in any Western state.
Last years
All of this was accomplished in a single four-year term, for Bamberger, already 75, declined to run for reelection. He left office in 1921 and returned to managing his business interests. He died on October 6, 1926 and was buried at B'nai Israel Cemetery, Salt Lake City.External links
- http://db3-sql.staff.library.utah.edu/lucene/Photo/P0200/P0225.xml Simon Bamberger Family Collection
- http://www.historytogo.utah.gov/sbamberger.html Utah State Archives regarding Governor Simon Bamberger.
- http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/b/BAMBERGER.html Utah History Encyclopedia.
- http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6868909&pt=Simon%20Bamberger Find A Grave Cemetery Records.
- http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Bamberger.html Jewish Virtual Library.