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The Governor John A. Love collection constitutes
approximately 140 cubic feet of record material covering his terms of
governor from 1963 – 1973. The collection is described down to the file
folder level. Major record series in the collection include correspondence
files; the Executive Record; photographs; speeches and messages;
proclamations; reports and some newspaper/media material concerning
legislative actions. The correspondence files comprise the main group of
record material.
Governor Love’s terms of office is well documented
throughout the 140 cubic feet of records that are in the custody of the
Colorado State Archives. The strengths of the collection include
documentation concerning state budget issues, civil rights, air and water
pollution and economic development. There is also material relating to tax
cuts, tourist and business opportunities, economic expansion, and public
school reform. In addition, there is a small amount of documentation
focusing on the 1976 Winter Olympics planning.
John Arthur Love was Colorado's 36th governor and served
from 1963-1973. While he was born in Illinois on a farm near Gibson City
on November 29, 1916, his family moved to Colorado five years later after
John's father, Arthur Candee Love, was diagnosed with a respiratory
illness. As many Colorado transplants attested to at the time, the state had a healing
environment for such patients.
The family settled in Colorado Springs where John
graduated from Cheyenne Mountain School in 1934. Love then attended
Denver University earning his bachelor of arts degree in 1938. He became
editor of the student newspaper, The Clarion, during his senior
year. He was also elected president of the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Press
Association. He received his LLB from Denver University Law School in 1941 and passed
the Colorado Bar in the same year. He married Ann Daniels in 1942. They
had three children, Dan, Andrew and Rebecca.
World War II temporarily interrupted his professional law career. He enlisted in the Navy's Aviation Cadet program and served
as a U.S. Navy pilot, for which he was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross. Following the War, he opened a law firm in Colorado Springs. After
the war Colorado experienced unprecedented growth, especially in and
around the urban areas. The economy became more dependent on industry and
tourism rather than its traditional agriculture and mining orientation.
There was also a heavy infusion of federal funds into the state as federal
agencies proliferated following the War. While the economy began to
diversify, a schism between the more populous Eastern Slope cities and
Western Slope rural areas began to develop. Competition over Western Slope
water became especially important.
Because of these conditions, Colorado politics was in a
state of flux in 1962 when Love decided to run for an office. His bid to
become El Paso County Republican Chair, however, failed by one vote.
Shortly after this unsuccessful attempt, he decided to run for governor so
that he could at least make his name more well known in the political
arena. Surprisingly, he won the primary battle against the longtime
legislator and Speaker of the House, David Hamil. Two factors then
especially influenced the race for governor. The Republicans in 1962
were more unified than the Democrats which gave Love an edge. Coloradans were
also looking for a
change in their leadership. Plus, although Love had no particular cause or agenda to
promote, he seemed to be an attractive candidate both physically as well
as politically. Although he was relatively new in politics, he had no past
record to defend and, as yet, few enemies. He was also a moderate
Republican which gained him more broad based support. For these reasons he
beat the incumbent, Stephen McNichols and became the first Colorado
governor to be elected to three terms.
During his terms he was responsible for attracting many
businesses and jobs to Colorado as part of his "Sell Colorado"
campaign. The tourist and ski industries also boomed. Colorado became more
influential at a national political level as the state's population grew and became
more prosperous. The popularity of his "Sell Colorado" idea
began to ebb in the late 1960s, however, as some Colorado leaders, notably
Love, began to press for Colorado to be the site of the 1976 Winter
Olympics. In 1972 an initiative was passed which refused to allow any
state money to be spent on financing the games. The environmental movement
had strong support in Colorado where residents were fearful that their
outstanding quality of life, based largely on the scenic mountain
landscape, would be compromised if the Olympic developments were allowed
to proceed.
Despite Love's support for the Olympics, his record
concerning environmental protection was much more moderate than many conservative Republicans. In his State of the State
addresses in 1970 and 1972, he stressed taking action to preserve, protect
and improve the environment. He supported state land use legislation and
promoted careful growth instead of growth for its own sake. He signed
important air and water pollution acts in 1970 which reduced pollution and
helped to protect the environment.
Budgetary concerns were always difficult for Love to
negotiate with the legislature and joint budget committee. In Colorado,
the governors and legislatures have traditionally sought to acquire or
retain power over the state's coffers. As other governors before and after
him, Love believed that the Executive Branch should have more power over
the budget. Despite these actual limitations on his power Love
was able to influence the passage of many bills. He got
increased state support for public schools and universities, and increased
scholarships and tuition waivers for college students despite the fact
that during his first term he supported a raise in college tuition. He
also signed controversial bills legalizing abortion and making possession
of a small amount of marijuana a misdemeanor. During his last term
Colorado set a nation-wide precedence by passing the Sunshine Law which opened
government meetings to the public and set disclosure requirements.
During one of the most contentious decades in our history
because of the Viet Nam War and civil rights disparities in the 1960s,
Love was known for his moderation . He was influential in keeping
the state relatively undivided and continually prosperous. He resigned the
governorship in 1973 to become the nation's first director of the Office
of Energy Policy for president Richard M. Nixon but resigned this post
after five months due to much political bickering and feeling like he did
not have enough to do. The upheaval of the Watergate scandal and the
subsequent resignation of Nixon possibly influenced his decision to return
to the private sector where he took a position on the board of directors
for the concrete and potash maker, Ideal Basic Industries. He would later
become the CEO of the firm while remaining counsel to the Denver law firm
of Davis, Graham & Stubbs, and in addition taught history at the
University of Northern Colorado. He died in Colorado, January 21, 2002 at
the age of 85.
Lamm, Richard D. and Duane A. Smith. Pioneers and
Politicians: 10 Colorado Governors in Profile. Boulder, Co.: Pruett
Publishing Co., 1984.
Love, John A. Collection. 140 c.f.,
1963-1973. Denver, Co.: Colorado State Archives.
Love, John A. Papers. 4 c.f., 1960-1974. Denver,
Co.: Denver Public Library Western History Collection.
Love, Ann. Interview / Oral History by Jean Smith
and Elaine Walsh, 1975. Denver, Co.: Colorado Historical Society.
Love, John A. Interview / Oral History by
David McComb, 1974. Denver, Co.: Colorado Historical Society.
Love, John A. Interview / Oral History by Barbara
Levin and Governor Richard Lamm, 1975. Denver, Co.: Colorado Historical
Society.
Walker, Donald L. John A. Love: The Story of Colorado's
Thirty-Sixth Governor. Denver, Co.: University of Colorado at Denver,
2000.
Correspondence
The correspondence series is separated
into administrative and miscellaneous. The administrative files contain
documentation concerning the National Governors' Conference, development
of natural gas reserves in Rio Blanco County, the 1976 winter Olympics,
collegiate campus protests and marches during the Vietnam War era, and XXX-rated
movie drive-in theaters. There is also material relating to federal
agencies and their programs in the state, higher education issues, water
related topics and the environment. The miscellaneous files deal with a wide
variety of topics ranging from tax studies to general government affairs.
Legislative bills and actions as well as the governor’s role in the
legislative process are documented.
Executive Record
The Executive Record contains executive
orders; appointments; legislative messages; pardons, extraditions and
requisitions; honorary citations; and proclamations that were issued by
Governor Love during his terms of office from 1963 – 1973.
Photographs
There are approximately 60 photos in this collection.
The subjects documented are Ruedi Dam groundbreaking in 1964, traffic
safety, the Eisenhower Tunnel construction, the National Western Stock
Show, and visits to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. There are
additional photographs located in other parts of the correspondence
collection.
Newspaper/Public Relations
This series is comprised of news clippings, news
releases, and other materials regarding public relations that Governor
Love made while in office.
Speeches and Messages
Copies of topical speeches concerning subjects such as
taxes, air pollution, government reorganization, agriculture, economic
development, and water issues are part of this record group. Included
within the Executive Record Governor Love’s speeches and messages
to the General Assembly are printed.
Proclamations
This series consists of the Executive Proclamations
issued by Governor Love and deposited with the Office of the Secretary of
State.
Reports
This record series consists primarily of reports from
state agencies and are filed as part of the governor’s legislative
records.
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