Albert Rosellini, American politician, Governor of Washington (1957–1965), died from complications from pneumonia he was 101.
Albert Dean Rosellini was the 15th governor of the state of Washington for two terms, from 1957 to 1965, and was the first Italian American, Roman Catholic governor elected west of the Mississippi River.[citation needed]
During a political career that spanned 40 years, Rosellini was an
activist leader who worked to reform the state’s prisons and mental
health facilities, expand the state highway system, create the University of Washington Medical School and Dental School, and build the second floating bridge across Lake Washington.
Rosellini is the longest-lived U.S. state governor ever, having reached the age of 101 years, 262 days.
(January 21, 1910 – October 10, 2011)
Early life
Rosellini was born in Tacoma, Washington, the only son of Italian immigrants. He worked his way through college and law school at the University of Washington.[1]
Career
State senator
At the age of 29, Rosellini was elected to the Washington State Senate as its youngest member, representing the 33rd district in south Seattle, the home of many Italian immigrants. A New Deal
Democrat, Rosellini served from 1939 to 1957, eventually rising to the
rank of majority leader. He was elected governor in 1956.
Governorship
A 2007 photograph of the interior of Seattle’s Blue Moon Tavern, where a Rosellini re-election campaign sign is still hanging.
As governor, Rosellini coupled personal charm with decades of political know-how,[citation needed]
developing a reputation for decisiveness and ability to move ahead on
long-stalled projects. Don Hannula, longtime political columnist for The Seattle Times, wrote in 1996, “He was not a man of empty rhetoric. He got things done. His legacy is everywhere.”[2] In his 1997 biography, Rosellini, Immigrant’s Son and Progressive Governor,
author Payton Smith wrote: “He was attracted to issues where progress
could be made and measured . . . Budget reform, economic development,
transportation, higher education and institutions were the core matters
to which he devoted his talent and governmental know-how.”[page needed]
In order to promote economic development, Rosellini established a state department of commerce and championed the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962.
He shepherded construction of what still is the longest floating bridge in the world, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, which was opened in 1963, and carries State Route 520 over Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina.
The bridge was later named after him. In addition, he was a tireless
supporter of higher education, strengthening the state university system
and developing a system of junior colleges. During his time in office,
Rosellini also reformed the state budget process and balanced the
budget. Rosellini was defeated in his bid for a third term as governor
by Republican Daniel J. Evans
in 1964. Rosellini made a comeback bid in 1972, but while he captured
the Democratic nomination, he was again defeated by Evans.
In order to support projects, he raised the state sales tax from 3.5 cents to 4 cents,[when?] prompting Republicans to dub him “Taxellini.”[citation needed]
Consultant and elder statesman
After leaving office in 1965, Rosellini returned to the practice of
law, and also became a political consultant, specializing in matters of
the liquor and entertainment industries. Over the years, Rossellini
served as an elder statesman of the state Democratic Party, mentoring
political figures including Washington governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke.
In 2003, Rosellini was back in the news briefly when he was reported to have delivered campaign contributions to Seattle City Council
members on behalf of strip-club owners, one of whom was a convicted
racketeer. Rosellini was never charged in the scandal that became known
as “Strippergate.”[3]
Until his death, Rosellini attended fundraisers for candidates and
helped raise money for charities, particularly the Washington State
Olympics Committee, which he chaired for many years.[citation needed]
Danny Westneat, columnist for The Seattle Times, wrote in 2005, “His record makes most governors after him look like slackers.”[4]
Later years and death
On January 21, 2010, Rosellini celebrated his 100th birthday, becoming one the few U.S. state governors ever to reach the age of 100.[5] Rosellini died of complications related to pneumonia in Seattle on October 10, 2011, at the age of 101.[5][6]
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