Jim Geringer
| Jim Geringer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 30th Governor of Wyoming | |
|
In office January 2, 1995 – January 6, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Dave Freudenthal |
| Member of the Wyoming Senate | |
|
In office 1989-1995 | |
| Member of the Wyoming House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1983-1989 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 24, 1944 Wheatland, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sherri Geringer |
| Alma mater | Kansas State University, Manhattan |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
James Edward "Jim" Geringer[1] (born April 24, 1944) is an American politician who was the 30th Governor of Wyoming, serving from 1995 to 2003.
Early life and education
Geringer was born and raised on a farm in Wheatland, Wyoming. His father, Gottlieb Geringer, was a Volga German from Lauwe (now Yablonovka, Saratov Oblast) in the Russian Empire, and his mother, Edla Malin (née Johnson), was of Swedish descent.[1] He attended Kansas State University and was a member of Triangle Fraternity, earning a degree in mechanical engineering. He served for ten years in the United States Air Force before retiring. He briefly worked at a power generating station in Wheatland before purchasing a farm.
Politics
In 1982, Geringer successfully ran as a Republican for a seat in the Wyoming House of Representatives. After serving there for six years, he won a seat in the Wyoming Senate from the 3rd district. In 1994, Geringer was elected as Wyoming's governor.
Geringer was generally a conservative throughout his political career. As governor, he helped pass laws that regulated class action lawsuits, reformed bankruptcy laws, toughened crime laws, legalized charter schools, and lowered taxes. However, he broke with the Republican Party in supporting environmental rulings and the Equal Rights Amendment.
In 1997, Governor Geringer called for a boycott of America Online after Sondra London posted a series of murder confessions sent to her from "Happy Face Killer" Keith Jesperson, protesting that he found the items to be offensive. Although London voluntarily removed the pages in question, AOL banned her from the AOL domain, which in turn prompted an outpouring of support from all over the World Wide Web, including multiple offers of free server space.
After serving as governor, he joined Redlands, California, ESRI as director of policy and public sector strategies.
Geringer is one of the founding governors of Western Governors University (WGU) and is currently chairman of the WGU Board of Trustees.[2]
References
External links
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mary Mead |
Republican nominee for Governor of Wyoming 1994, 1998 |
Succeeded by Eli Bebout |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Mike Sullivan |
Governor of Wyoming 1995–2003 |
Succeeded by Dave Freudenthal |
