Warren Eastman Hearnes (July 24, 1923 – August 16, 2009) was an American politician who served as the 46th governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first officeholder eligible to serve two consecutive four-year terms as Governor. He previously served as the Secretary of State of Missouri from 1961 to 1965.
After leaving office Hearnes was dogged by a tax investigation, relating to finances in and out of his administration. While later cleared of any wrongdoing, Hearnes faced trouble in future bids for office. He was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 1976, replacing Jerry Litton who died after winning the nomination, but lost to John Danforth in November. He subsequently lost bids for Missouri Auditor in 1978, and a Circuit Court Judge position in 1980.
While attending law school, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 1950 and served until 1961.[3] He served as majority floor leader from 1957 until leaving office.[4]
Hearnes also campaigned against the Central Trust Bank of Jefferson City, Missouri (which, since its 1902 founding by Lon Stephens,[8] had been the central depository for state funds), saying that the bank's power was creating an atmosphere where establishment forces would "select rather than elect" a leader.[9]
Hearnes won the primary over Bush with 51.9% of the vote.[10] In the general election he won by more than 500,000 votes and 62% of the vote, defeating Republican Ethan A.H. Shepley, chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis.[11] His lieutenant governor in the race was Thomas Eagleton. In 1965 the constitution was amended to permit governors to serve two consecutive terms.[12]
Hearnes considered running as a favorite son candidate in the 1968 Democratic Party presidential primaries, but ultimately withdrew his candidacy. He chaired the Missouri delegation to the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which was selected by a traditional caucus of party members and overwhelmingly supported the candidacy of Hubert Humphrey.[13][14] At the convention, he spoke in support of President Lyndon B. Johnson's Vietnam policy.[15] Despite this, Hearnes voted to pass a minority report from the convention's Rules Committee which ultimately established the McGovern-Fraser Commission, which would substantially democratize the Democratic primaries. Historians of the primary process have disputed whether Hearnes was confused when he made his vote, or whether he had been convinced by the arguments that a more open primary process was preferable. Hearnes' vote was instrumental to the passage of the minority report, as the entire Missouri delegation followed his lead; this supplied the report with its margin of victory.[14]
Hearnes' priorities as Governor included improving public education, bettering the state's highways and traffic safety, as well as civil rights and the environment. State aid to public schools increased from $145.5 million to $389.2 million during Hearnes' term as governor, an increase of 167%, and he also increased state aid to higher education from $47.5 million to $144.7 million, an increase of 204%.[citation needed]
He oversaw the increase of state aid to vocational education from $856,000 to $8.8 million, fostering the establishment 53 new area vocational educational schools. While Hearnes was Governor, the State of Missouri built 350 miles of four-lane highways throughout the state. He also created the Missouri Division of Highway Safety and enacted a law providing mandatory breath tests for suspected drunken drivers. Hearnes increased uniform strength of the Missouri State Highway Patrol from 500 to 750 officers.[citation needed]
Hearnes was Governor during the Civil Rights era and as Governor he signed a Public Accommodations Law, Missouri's first civil rights act. As governor he also strengthened the Fair Employment Practices Act and increased the staff of the Human Rights Commission from two employees to 35. Hearnes also enacted the state's first air pollution law, with subsequent strengthening of its provisions.[citation needed] He oversaw the passage of a $150 million water pollution bond issue to provide state matching funds for sewage control construction projects, and created the state's Clean Water Commission to enforce water pollution laws. He also was responsible for the provision of first state financial grants for mass transit and urban rapid transit facilities. He created the Department of Community Affairs to assist local governments in obtaining technical assistance and grants for city planning, zoning, housing, sewage treatment, industrial development, and other municipal and regional projects.[citation needed]
After leaving office Hearnes was plagued with tax problems which were ultimately cleared in 1977. His problems were highlighted by an exposé in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hearnes sued the paper for defamation and the case was ultimately settled with terms undisclosed.[4]
Hearnes ran for United States Senate in 1976. He placed second in the primary with 26.9 percent of the vote. The winner, Jerry Litton, had 45.4%, but was killed in a plane crash en route to a primary election victory party on August 3. On August 21, the Democratic state committee selected Hearnes as the replacement nominee over Jim Spainhower by a 38 to 22 vote.[16] Hearnes lost the general election to John Danforth who garnered 56.9% of the vote.[19]
In 1980, Hearnes was appointed Circuit Court Judge, making him the first person in Missouri history to serve in all three branches of the state government. However he failed to be elected to the position in the same year.[4]
In 2005, Warren and Betty Hearnes were awarded the Edwin P. Hubble Medal of Initiative during the Charleston Dogwood-Azalea Festival. The medal was presented by a delegation of citizens from Marshfield, Missouri. The medal is the city of Marshfield's highest honor and is named for a native son.[22]
Hearnes died August 16, 2009. He is buried in IOOF Cemetery in Charleston, Missouri, along with his wife who died in 2023.[27] He is also buried with his daughter, Lynn Cooper Hearnes, who was killed in an auto accident on December 31, 2009, only a few months after the death of her father.[28]
^"MO Governor Race". Our Campaigns. November 3, 1964. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
^"Archived copy"(PDF). www.lbjlib.utexas.edu. Archived from the original(PDF) on November 23, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)