George W. P. Hunt
First Governor of Arizona and Father of Arizona State Museum
George Wylie Paul Hunt (November 1, 1859–December 24, 1934), politician and businessman, was born in Huntsville, Missouri, a town named for his family. He left home at age 18 and arrived in Globe, Arizona, some three years later. After a series of odd jobs he became clerk of a general store and rose to the top of a large commercial enterprise. He was also the first mayor of Globe.
He served in both houses of the Arizona Territorial Legislature, was president of the convention that wrote Arizona's state constitution
and became its first governor when Arizona achieved statehood on February 14, 1912. He was elected to a total of seven terms as governor, earning the sobriquet, "George VII."
Hunt referred to himself as “Old Walrus.” Largely self-educated and well read, he was a savvy political operator. A Progressive Era populist, he supported organized labor, women's suffrage, secret ballots, income tax, free silver coinage, and compulsory education. He was also an opponent of capital punishment and an advocate for Arizona's rights to Colorado River water.
Creation of Arizona State Museum
Hunt wrote and introduced House Bill 42 during the 17th Legislative Assembly in 1893. This bill created what is now the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
HB 42 proposed that a territorial museum be established with a board of directors including the governor, secretary, attorney general, and superintendent of public instruction. The museum was to be located at the territorial library, the head librarian responsible for the collections with payment for this service to be $100 per year.
A letter from Territorial Governor Nathan O. Murphy suggested that the museum be located at the territorial university (now the University of Arizona) in Tucson, rather than at the library, and be under the management of the university’s board of regents. The changes were adopted and the bill passed the house with unanimous support; it was enacted on March 8 and signed by the territorial governor on April 7, 1893.
A Brief History of Arizona State Museum
More about George W. P. Hunt
