John Arthur Love

John Love
Director of the Energy Policy Office
In office July 16, 1973 – December 4, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Charles DiBona (National Energy Office)
Succeeded by	William Simon (Federal Energy Office)
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office August 31, 1969 – August 9, 1970
Preceded by	Buford Ellington
Succeeded by	Warren Hearnes
36th Governor of Colorado
In office January 8, 1963 – July 16, 1973
Lieutenant	Robert Knous Mark Hogan John Vanderhoof
Preceded by	Stephen McNichols
Succeeded by	John Vanderhoof
Personal details
Born	John Arthur Love (1916-11-29)November 29, 1916 near Gibson City, Illinois, U.S.
Died	January 21, 2002(2002-01-21) (aged 85) Aurora, Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ann Daniels
Children	2 (including Rebecca)
Education	University of Denver (BA, LLB)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Distinguished Flying Cross

John Arthur Love (November 29, 1916 – January 21, 2002) was an American attorney and Republican politician who served as the 36th Governor of the State of Colorado from 1963 to 1973.

Left to right: President Richard Nixon, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, and John A. Love in the Oval Office, 1973.

Early life and education

Love was born on a farm near Gibson City, Illinois, on November 29, 1916. At age five, he moved with his family to Colorado Springs, Colorado. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver in 1938 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Denver School of Law in 1941.

He served as a U.S. Navy pilot in World War II for which he was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, Love started a law practice in Colorado Springs.

Family

Love married Ann Daniels in 1942 and the couple had three children, Dan, Andrew and Rebecca. Rebecca grew up to serve as a justice of the Colorado Supreme Court from 1995 to 2006. Andrew Love served 37 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired in 2004 as a major general.

Political career

In 1962, Love defeated incumbent Colorado Governor Stephen McNichols, a Democrat. Love was re-elected governor in 1966 and 1970. In 1967, he signed the first liberalized abortion bill in the United States into law.

In 1973, Love resigned the governorship to become the nation's first Director of the Office of Energy Policy (nicknamed the "Energy Czar") in the administration of U.S. President Richard M. Nixon. Lieutenant Governor John D. Vanderhoof assumed the office of governor upon Love's resignation. After only five months as Energy Czar, Love resigned due to the political turmoil in the final days of the Nixon Administration. Historian Daniel Yergin asserts Love was forced to resign by Nixon in favor of William E. Simon due to the energy crisis created in October 1973 by the Arab oil embargo.

Death

Love died in Aurora, Colorado on January 21, 2002, at the age of 85.

See also

• Energy Czar

Further reading

• Lamm, Richard D. and Duane A. Smith. Pioneers and Politicians: 10 Colorado Governors in Profile. Boulder, Co.: Pruett Publishing Co., 1984.
• Love, John A. Collection. 140 c.f., 1963–1973. Denver, Co.: Colorado State Archives.
• Love, John A. Papers. 4 c.f., 1960–1974. Denver, Co.: Denver Public Library Western History Collection.
• Love, Ann. Interview / Oral History by Jean Smith and Elaine Walsh, 1975. Denver, Co.: Colorado Historical Society.
• Love, John A. Interview / Oral History by David McComb, 1974. Denver, Co.: Colorado Historical Society.
• Love, John A. Interview / Oral History by Barbara Levin and Governor Richard Lamm, 1975. Denver, Co.: Colorado Historical Society.
• Walker, Donald L. John A. Love: The Story of Colorado's Thirty-Sixth Governor. Denver, Co.: University of Colorado at Denver, 2000.

External links

• The Governors of Colorado
  • The Governor John Arthur Love Collection at the Colorado State Archives
• Guide to the John Love Papers at the University of Denver Retrieved 2014-09-26.