Howard E. Armstrong
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Howard Edwin Armstrong (April 19, 1903 – October 7, 1983) was a public official in Vermont who served as Secretary of State for sixteen years.
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Harold J. Arthur
Lee E. Emerson
Joseph B. Johnson
Robert Stafford
F. Ray Keyser Jr.
Philip H. Hoff
Howard E. Armstrong | |
|---|---|
The Montpelier Monitor (Montpelier, Vermont), October 19, 1961 | |
| 30th Secretary of State of Vermont | |
| In office 1949–1965 | |
| Governor | Ernest W. Gibson Jr. Harold J. Arthur Lee E. Emerson Joseph B. Johnson Robert Stafford F. Ray Keyser Jr. Philip H. Hoff |
| Preceded by | Helen E. Burbank |
| Succeeded by | Harry H. Cooley |
| Vermont Commissioner of Industrial Relations | |
| In office 1939–1949 | |
| Preceded by | None (position created) |
| Succeeded by | John T. Conley |
| Vermont Commissioner of Industries | |
| In office 1936–1939 | |
| Preceded by | Charles R. White |
| Succeeded by | None (position eliminated) |
| Vermont Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs | |
| In office 1935–1936 | |
| Preceded by | Lua B. Edson |
| Succeeded by | Eleanor Dana |
| Clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives | |
| In office 1927–1935 | |
| Preceded by | Charles R. White |
| Succeeded by | Leon E. Ellsworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 19, 1903 |
| Died | October 7, 1983 (aged 80) |
| Resting place | Plymouth Notch Cemetery, Plymouth Notch, Vermont, US |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Margaret Ellen Brown (m. 1929) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Vermont (attended) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Biography
Armstrong was born in Bennington, Vermont on April 19, 1903,[1][2] the son of Marcus P. Armstrong (1864–1928) and Alice J. Cordes (1868–1953).[2] He graduated from Bennington High School in 1922, and attended the University of Vermont from 1922 to 1923.[1] He decided on a legal career, and studied law with Harry Chase of Bennington, and in the Ludlow office of William W. Stickney and John G. Sargent.[1] Armstrong was admitted to the bar in 1926.[1]
A Republican, Armstrong served as second assistant clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives in 1925, and was the House Clerk from 1927 to 1935.[3] He was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) to Governor Charles Manley Smith from 1935 to 1936.[3] Armstrong was Vermont's deputy Commissioner of Industries in 1936.[3] He served as commissioner from 1936 to 1939, and Commissioner of Industrial Relations from 1939 to 1949.[3]
In 1948, Armstrong was the successful Republican nominee for Secretary of State.[3] He was reelected seven times, and served from January 1949 to January 1965.[3] Armstrong was defeated by Harry H. Cooley during the Democratic landslide of 1964, which was the first time a Democrat had ever won the Secretary of State's office.[3][4]
In 1968, Republican Richard C. Thomas won the Secretary of State's position.[5] He employed former Secretaries Armstrong and Helen E. Burbank on a consulting basis at the start of his eight-year tenure.[5]
Retirement
In retirement, Armstrong resided in Montpelier.[6] He died at his home on October 7, 1983;[6] he was being treated for cancer, and his death was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[7] He was buried at Plymouth Notch Cemetery in Plymouth Notch, Vermont.[6]