C of I alumnus governs Oregon In addition to Idaho governors Robert E. Smylie ’38 and C.L. “Butch” Otter ’67, countless C of I graduates have become leaders outside of the Gem State. Most notable is Elmo Smith ’32, who served as Oregon’s 27th governor from 1956-1957. Smith, who was orphaned at 13, put himself through school at the C of I, where he studied history. He then moved to nearby Ontario, Ore., and began a successful career as a newspaperman. He founded the Ontario Observer (now the Argus Observer) and also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Through the years, Smith’s newspaper business and political career steadily grew. He served multiple terms as mayor of Ontario and in 1948 was elected to the state senate. He became senate president in 1955 and, after the untimely death of Gov. Paul Patterson, was elevated to the governor’s office. Smith’s term in office was brief, but eventful. His administration bolstered public education, formed a commission on aging and created the Water Resources Board, an agency that manages and regulates Oregon’s water resources to this day. After leaving the governor’s office, Smith concentrated on his newspaper holdings, but remained interested in politics. He was selected chairman of the Oregon Republican Party in 1964 and, sadly, died of cancer four years later at the age of 58. rejuvenating party enthusiasm statewide. Batt’s term as governor was marked by fiscal conservancy and an eye to Idaho’s future. He directed the modernization of the state’s computer system, improved conditions for agricultural workers and successfully negotiated favorable terms for the storage of nuclear waste in Idaho. Throughout his political career and outside of the office, Batt was known for his sharp wit and sense of humor. In spite of demonstrated popularity in the polls, he decided to serve a single term as governor.
AN IDAHO LEADER Idaho’s 32nd and current governor, C.L. “Butch” Otter, is a native Idahoan whose political resume in the Gem State is virtually unmatched. Otter played football and studied political science at the C of I, becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college in 1967. After college, Otter served honorably in the Idaho Army National Guard´s 116th Armored Cavalry and went on to enjoy a successful career in business, primarily with the J.R. Simplot Company. Otter entered politics in 1973, serving the first of two terms as a representative for the people of Canyon County in the Idaho House of Representatives. In 1986, Otter was elected lieutenant governor of Idaho, a position he was reelected to in 1990, 1994 and 1998. He is the longestserving lieutenant governor in state history, having held the office under Andrus, Batt and Dirk Kempthorne. Midway through his fourth term as lieutenant governor, Otter was elected
“What sets The College of Idaho apart is the independent culture, the closeknit faculty and student body and a real focus on the individual.” —Gov. Otter ’67 to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served three terms in Congress, representing Idaho’s 1st District for six years before returning home for the first of his two successful gubernatorial campaigns. “Successful leadership requires equal parts flexibility and determination, principle Butch Otter ’67 and pragmatism, self-awareness and empathy, responsibility and accountability,” Otter said. “My time at The College of Idaho improved my capacity for all those qualities. At every stage of my career, there’s been a learning curve. The College of Idaho prepared me to be a lifetime learner, which is a tool that never lets you down.” A Republican, Otter espouses a conservative/libertarian point of view, emphasizing the need for elected officials to keep the people’s needs in mind. Upon his election in 2006, Otter said his goal as governor “is to empower Idaho to be all that America was meant to be, and to empower Idahoans to be the architects of their own destiny.” To date, he has continued to stress empowering Idahoans, promoting responsible government and enhancing economic opportunities as his political points of emphasis. “Gov. Otter has been a great leader in Idaho and an enormous help to the College for a long time,” Henberg said. “He is a genuinely warm and open human being; even if you disagree with him politically, you can’t dislike the man. And I would say the same of Gov. Andrus and Gov. Batt. All three are men of great integrity who are very proud of their service here, and they continue to do great things for the College and for our state.” Otter has not yet announced whether he will run for a third term as governor in 2014. If he does so successfully, he will be the second Idaho governor to serve three consecutive terms. The other, fittingly, was Smylie. And, like Henberg, Otter has no doubt The College of Idaho will continue to produce great leaders for generations to come. “What sets The College of Idaho apart is the independent culture, the close-knit faculty and student body and a real focus on the individual,” Otter said. “Excellence and the qualities of leadership are unapologetically promoted, and great things are expected. That will continue as long as the College maintains those principles and keeps serving the needs of those who understand that exceptional communities start with exceptional people.”
JAN BOLES is a 1965 College of Idaho graduate who currently works in the Robert E. Smylie Archives. Quest editor Jordan Rodriguez contributed to this report.
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