William Scranton

William Scranton
Official portrait, 1962
13th United States Ambassador to the United Nations
In office
March 15, 1976 – January 19, 1977
PresidentGerald Ford
Preceded byDaniel Patrick Moynihan
Succeeded byAndrew Young
38th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
January 15, 1963 – January 17, 1967
LieutenantRaymond P. Shafer
Preceded byDavid Lawrence
Succeeded byRaymond P. Shafer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 10th district
In office
January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963
Preceded byStanley Prokop
Succeeded byJoe McDade
Personal details
Born
William Warren Scranton

(1917-07-19)July 19, 1917
Madison, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedJuly 28, 2013(2013-07-28) (aged 96)
Montecito, California, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
(m. 1942)
Children4, including William
RelativesScranton family
EducationYale University (BA, LLB)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/service United States Army Air Forces
 United States Air Force
Years of service1941–1945
Rank Captain

William Warren Scranton (July 19, 1917 – July 28, 2013) was an American Republican Party politician and diplomat.[1] Scranton served as the 38th governor of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1967, and as United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1976 to 1977.[2]

Born into the prominent Scranton family,[3] William W. Scranton graduated from Yale Law School and served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war, he practiced law and became active in the Pennsylvania Republican Party. He won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1960 and gained a reputation as an outspoken moderate during his time in Congress. He won the Republican nomination in Pennsylvania's 1962 gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat Richardson Dilworth in the general election.[4]

As governor, Scranton presided over sweeping reforms to Pennsylvania's education system, including the creation of the state's community college system.[5] Scranton entered the race for the 1964 Republican presidential nomination after the collapse of Nelson Rockefeller's candidacy, but Barry Goldwater won the nomination. Scranton was term-limited out of office in 1967 but remained active in politics. He chaired the President's Commission on Campus Unrest, served as a member of the transition team for President Gerald Ford, and served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1976 to 1977. He also served on the boards of several high-profile corporations and was associated with the Trilateral Commission and the Council on Foreign Relations.

  1. ^ McFadden, Robert D. “William W. Scranton, 96, G.O.P. Prodigy Who Led Pennsylvania, Is Dead.” New York, New York: The New York Times, July 29, 2013 (retrieved online, June 3, 2021).
  2. ^ Governor William Warren Scranton” (biography), in “Governors.” Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, retrieved online, June 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Carocci, Vincent P. Capitol Journey: Reflections on the Press, Politics, and the Making of Public Policy in Pennsylvania, Chapter 13: “William Warren Scranton II (1963–1967).” University Park, Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2005.
  4. ^ Baer, John. “An elegant man (and politician) passes: William Warren Scranton was many things rarely seen in politics today.” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 30, 2013 (retrieved online, June 3, 2021).
  5. ^ White, Theodore H. “Squire Scranton Bides His Time.” New York, New York: Life, February 28, 1964, pp. 63-72 (retrieved online, June 3, 2021).