Richard Kirman Sr.

Richard Kirman Sr. (January 14, 1877 – January 19, 1959) was an American politician. He was the 17th Governor of Nevada from 1935 to 1939. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

Richard Kirman Sr.
17th Governor of Nevada
In office January 7, 1935 – January 2, 1939
Lieutenant	Fred S. Alward
Preceded by	Morley Griswold
Succeeded by	Edward P. Carville
Mayor of Reno
In office 1907–1909
Personal details
Born	January 14, 1877 Virginia City, Nevada, U.S.
Died	January 19, 1959 (aged 82) Carson City, Nevada, U.S.
Resting place	Mountain View Cemetery Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Political party	Democratic

Biography

Kirman was born in Virginia City, Nevada and educated in the Nevada public schools. He graduated from Lincoln High School in San Francisco, California.[1] In San Francisco, on January 19, 1898, he married Mabelle Jean King and the couple had two children, Richard and Claire.[2]

Career

Returning to Nevada, Kirman began working in banking. He was elected to the Nevada State Assembly in 1899.[3] In 1902, he was appointed a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada and was in that position until 1904.

Elected mayor of Reno, Nevada, Kirman served in that position from 1907 to 1909. He successfully served as President of Reno's First National Bank during the Great Depression. He continued all his life to be active in livestock, business and banking.

Winning the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1934, Kirman won the election and was sworn in as Governor of Nevada on January 7, 1935.[4] Nevada's state park system was created during Kirman's administration.[5] Also, during his tenure, the state planning board was implemented, and construction on the Hoover Dam was completed. He did not seek re-election in 1938.

Death

Kirman died on January 19, 1959 in Carson City, Nevada, at the age of 82. He is interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Reno, Nevada.

References

1. "Richard Kirman". NNDB. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
2. "Richard Kirman Sr". Nevada's First Ladies. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
3. "Richard Kirman Sr". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
4. "Richard Kirman, Sr". National Governors Association. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
5. Weaver, J. Steve (March–April 2010). "Nevada's state parks". Nevada Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 June 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.

External links

• Richard Kirman Sr. at Find a Grave
• National Governors Association
• The Political Graveyard
• Nevada's First Ladies