Wesley Bolin (July 1, 1909 – March 4, 1978) was a Democratic Party politician who served as the 15th Governor of the U.S. state of Arizona between 1977 and 1978. His five months in office mark the shortest term in office for any Arizona governor.
Born on a farm near Butler, Missouri, Bolin moved with his family to Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of six. He worked with several business firms in the Salt River Valley before being elected constable of West Phoenix Precinct in 1938. From 1943 until 1948, Bolin was justice of the peace of the West Phoenix Precinct court.
He served over 28 years as Arizona Secretary of State (13 consecutive terms).
He succeeded to the governorship after the previous governor, Raul Hector Castro, was named ambassador to Argentina by President Jimmy Carter. Under Arizonan law, the Secretary of State was first in line to fill a vacancy in the governor's office. Bolin was Secretary of State for Arizona from 1949 until he assumed the office of Governor, and remains the longest-serving Secretary of State in Arizona history.
Bolin died in office at the age of 68 in 1978 and was succeeded by Bruce Babbitt. The Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza near the capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, was named after him, and has been designated as a Phoenix Point of Pride.
Famous quotes containing the word wesley:
“See him, when starved to death and turned to dust,
Presented with a monumental bust!
The poet’s fate is here in emblem shown:
He asked for bread, and he received a stone.”
—Samuel Wesley (1691–1739)