George Romney

George Romney
3rd United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
In office January 22, 1969 – January 20, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Robert Coldwell Wood
Succeeded by	James Thomas Lynn
43rd Governor of Michigan
In office January 1, 1963 – January 22, 1969
Lieutenant	William Milliken
Preceded by	John Swainson
Succeeded by	William Milliken
Personal details
Born	George Wilcken Romney (1907-07-08)July 8, 1907 Colonia Dublán, Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico
Died	July 26, 1995(1995-07-26) (aged 88) Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Resting place	Fairview Cemetery Brighton, Michigan
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Lenore Romney (1931-1995)
Children	Lynn Keenan, Jane Romney, G. Scott Romney, Mitt Romney
Profession	Automobile industrialist Politician

George Wilcken Romney (July 8, 1907 – July 26, 1995) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician. He was chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962. He served the 43rd Governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969. He was also the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1969 to 1973.

He is the father of former Governor of Massachusetts, 2012 Republican presidential nominee, and current United States Senator Mitt Romney. He was also the husband of former Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Lenore Romney. In 1968, he ran for president, but lost to Richard Nixon.

Biography

Romney was born to American parents living in Colonia Dublán, Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico on July 8, 1907. The events during the Mexican Revolution forced his family to flee back to the United States when he was a child. The family lived in several states and ended up in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they struggled during the Great Depression. Romney worked in a number of jobs, served as a Mormon missionary in England and Scotland, and attended several colleges in the U.S. but did not graduate from any. In 1939 he moved to Detroit, Michigan.

Marriage and children

On July 2, 1931, he married Lenore Romney. They would later have four children, Lynn Romney, Jane Romney, Mitt Romney, and G. Scott Romney. His granddaughter from Scott Romney, Ronna Romney McDaniel, is the current chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.

Death

Romney died on July 26, 1995 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan from a heart attack, aged 88. He was buried at Fairview Cemetery in Brighton, Michigan.

Other websites

Media related to George W. Romney at Wikimedia Commons

• Boston Globe Magazine, Lessons of the Father
• Video of George W. Romney defending his success, NBC, 1967
• George Romney photo essay