Former Montana Governor Ted Schwinden dies at 98

The Democrat and World War II veteran served as state governor between 1981 and 1989.

Imagen de archivo de Ted Swinden — (YouTube / Digital Commons @ Montana Tech)

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10 de octubre, 2023

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Former Montana Governor Ted Schwinden died Saturday at age 98. The Democrat and World War II veteran passed away at his daughter's home in Phoenix, as his son, Dore Schwinden, announced to the media this Monday. The cause of death, Dore claimed, was "old age": "He went to sleep in the afternoon and didn’t wake up."

Ted Schwinden was born on Aug. 31, 1925, on his family's farm in Wolf Point, Mont., located on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. A wheat farmer by trade, he graduated from high school with top grades, allowing him to enlist in the United States Army and serve in Europe and the Pacific during World War II.

Once his overseas mission was over, Schwinden returned and married Jean Christianson. Following this, he graduated from the University of Montana on the GI Bill and received a bachelor's and master's degree. After this, Fox News recalls, he served on the local school board and the state legislature, becoming House minority leader in 1961. Right after, he rose to become president of the Montana Grain Growers Association.

The personal side of Ted Schwinden

After this, he was appointed commissioner of state lands and later promoted to lieutenant governor alongside Governor Thomas Judge, a position he held from 1976 to 1981 when he became governor of Montana. He served as governor for two terms, leaving office in 1989.

The AP remembers that his openness will always be remembered by Montanans, as he was one of the few state legislators who kept his phone number in the telephone directory, making it easier for journalists to locate him. He regularly granted phone interviews to main radio programs. This quality was something that his children also remembered in his obituary:

When Ted was on the phone, it was impossible to tell if he was talking to the governor of Oregon or a custodian at the Capitol. Every caller warranted his respect and full attention.

This was also a trait highlighted by Montana's former U.S. Senator Max Baucus. He served during part of Schwinden's term as governor and claimed that he was the "quintessential" leader of Montana. He was someone who "believed in open government and public service … No airs, not pretentious, just very hardworking, open and honest. He believed in the people of Montana."