Vernon B. Romney

Vernon Bradford Romney (April 27, 1924 – July 13, 2013) was an American lawyer who served as the attorney general of Utah from 1969 to 1977,[1] and the Republican candidate for Governor of Utah in 1976.[2]

Vernon B. Romney
14th Attorney General of Utah
In office January 6, 1969 – December 1977
Governor	Cal Rampton Scott M. Matheson
Preceded by	Phil L. Hansen
Succeeded by	Robert B. Hansen
Personal details
Born	Vernon Bradford Romney (1924-04-27)April 27, 1924 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Died	July 13, 2013(2013-07-13) (aged 89) Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Patricia Pingree (1951–2013; his death)
Children	6
Profession	Lawyer

Early life, military, and education

Romney was born to Vernon Romney (1896–1976) and Anna Lois Bradford (1900–1957) in Salt Lake City, Utah, the oldest of eight children.[3] His father was an attorney and the chair of the Utah Republican party in 1944–50 and 1958–62.[4][5][6] He is a first cousin of George W. Romney and a first cousin once removed to Mitt Romney.[3] Romney graduated in 1941 from East High School.[7]

Romney served in Okinawa and Leyte during World War II as an infantryman in the 96th Infantry Division as a radio operator and an assistant to a Methodist chaplain.[8] He graduated with a BS in political science from the University of Utah and with a JD from George Washington University in 1953.[9][10]

Legal and political career

Romney worked as an attorney for the Federal Communications Commission and on the staff of Senator Arthur V. Watkins, both while in Washington, DC.[10] He practiced law in Salt Lake City for fifteen years with the firms Romney and Nelson, and later Romney, Madsen, and Cummings.[10][11] From 1955-1959 he was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Utah.[10] He was elected Attorney General of Utah in 1968,[11] and was reelected to this position in 1972.[2] He appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case to obtain the mineral rights in the Great Salt Lake for the State of Utah, helped to improve airline service to the Salt Lake International Airport, increased consumer protection in the state of Utah, and was involved in efforts to reform federal habeas corpus laws.[10][11][12] After a failed bid for Governor of Utah in 1976, Romney was the Highland, Utah City Attorney from 1977 to 1992.[10]

Romney in 2005

Church service

Romney served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York from 1948 to 1950. He later served missions with his wife Pat to Charleston, West Virginia, from 1997 to 1998, and La Jolla, California, from 2001 to 2002.[8]

Family

Romney married Patricia (Pat) Pingree on December 29, 1951. In 1986, Pat was called as the national president of Lambda Delta Sigma, the LDS Church-sponsored sorority for college-age women.[13] They are the parents to six children.[3] They also have twenty-one grandchildren and, at the time of Romney's death, eleven great-grandchildren.[8]

References

1. "Utah's Attorneys General 1896 to Present", AttorneyGeneral.Utah.gov, Office of the Utah Attorney General, archived from the original on January 14, 2014, retrieved 2014-01-14
2. Ellis, Dexter C. (November 3, 1976). "Hatch, Marriott, Matheson, McKay Win". Deseret News. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
3. Eyring Miner, Caroline (1978). Miles Romney and Elizabeth Gaskell Romney. Salt Lake City, Utah: Publishers Press.
4. "Two Singers Arrive, But No 'Dewey-Ettes'". Deseret News. July 12, 1947. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
5. "Stassen Sets Utah Visit Sunday". Deseret News. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
6. "Romney family of Utah". Political Graveyard.
7. Pat Reavy. "Vern Romney, former Utah Attorney General, dies at 89". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
8. Dalley, Christie (August 4, 2012). "Highland grand marshals recall their 33 years in city". Daily Herald. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
9. "Creer Vs. Romney In Race for Attorney General". Deseret News. October 29, 1968. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
10. Pat Reavy. "Former Utah Attorney General Vern Romney dies at age 89". Retrieved 15 July 2013.
11. "Hat's In Ring For Romney". Deseret News. April 14, 1972. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
12. "Vernon Romney, Utah Politician and Candidate's Cousin, Dies at 89". The New York Times. July 16, 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
13. "Appointments". Ensign. September 1986. Retrieved 8 November 2012.

Party political offices
Preceded by Nicholas L. Strike	Republican nominee for Governor of Utah 1976	Succeeded by Bob Wright
Legal offices
Preceded by Phil L. Hansen	Attorney General of Utah 1977–1981	Succeeded by Robert B. Hansen