Joe Hickey
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
In office
June 9, 1966  September 22, 1970
Appointed byLyndon B. Johnson
Preceded byJohn Coleman Pickett
Succeeded byJames E. Barrett
United States Senator
from Wyoming
In office
January 3, 1961  November 6, 1962
Appointed byJack R. Gage
Preceded byKeith Thomson (elect)
Joseph C. O'Mahoney
Succeeded byMilward Simpson
24th Governor of Wyoming
In office
January 5, 1959  January 2, 1961
Preceded byMilward Simpson
Succeeded byJack R. Gage
United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming
In office
1949–1953
PresidentHarry Truman
Preceded byJohn Coleman Pickett
Succeeded byJohn F. Raper
Personal details
Born
John Joseph Hickey

(1911-08-22)August 22, 1911
Rawlins, Wyoming, U.S.
DiedSeptember 22, 1970(1970-09-22) (aged 59)
Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S.
Resting placeRawlins Cemetery, Rawlins, Wyoming, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseWinifred E. Espy
Children2
Parents
  • John Joseph Hickey (father)
  • Brigit O'Meara (mother)
EducationUniversity of Wyoming College of Law (LLB)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1942-1945
RankCaptain
Battles/warsWorld War II

John Joseph Hickey (August 22, 1911 – September 22, 1970), known as Joe or J. J. Hickey, was an American judge and politician who served the 24th Governor of Wyoming and Senator as a Democrat before sitting on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. He was the first Governor of Wyoming to be born in the 20th century.

Early life

Joe Hickey was born in Rawlins, Wyoming, on August 22, 1911, to John Joseph Hickey and Brigit O'Meara. John moved to Wyoming in 1873, and was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad. Joe graduated from public school in Rawlins in 1929, and graduated with a law degree from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1934.[1]

Hickey served in the army during World War II for 42 months and received the rank of private.[1]

In 1942 he joined the army as a private and after serving for forty two months rose to the rank of captain. On December 25, 1945, he was honorably discharged and on January 15, 1946, he married Winifred Espy. He served as county attorney of Carbon County from 1946 to 1949.

Career

Early politics

Hickey served as the treasurer of Rawlins from 1935 to 1940, and was the chair of the Carbon County Democratic Party. He was county attorney of Carbon County from 1939 to 1942. President Harry S. Truman appointed him as the U.S. District Attorney for Wyoming in 1949.[1] Hickey was a U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming from 1949 to 1954.[2]

Hickey became chair of the Wyoming Democratic Party in 1954.[1]

Governor and Senator

Hickey as governor.
Hickey as a senator.

He was the Governor of Wyoming from 1959 to 1961.

Hickey seconded the presidential nomination of Lyndon B. Johnson at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.[1] During the 1960 presidential election Hickey stated that the issue over Kennedy's Catholicism would not be important in Wyoming due to Hickey, who was also a Catholic, having won in 1958.[3]

Hickey resigned as governor and Secretary of State Jack R. Gage ascended to the position. On January 2, 1961, Gage appointed him to fill the vacancy created by U.S. Senator-elect Keith Thomson's death.[1] Hickey lost the election in 1962. On October 15, 1962, he suffered a heart attack, but recovered.[4]

Tenth Circuit

He was in private practice of law in Rawlins from 1962 to 1966. Hickey was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 12, 1966, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacated by Judge John Coleman Pickett. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 9, 1966, and received his commission the same day.

Death

In July 1970, Hickey was hospitalized for a stomach ulcer and in August he went to the Presbyterian Medical Center in Denver for lung cancer treatment.[5] On September 22, 1970, he died in a Cheyenne hospital. He was buried on September 24, and eulogized by Bishop Hubert Newell.[1]

Electoral history

1958 Wyoming Gubernatorial election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Joe Hickey 55,070 48.94% -0.56%
Republican Milward Simpson (incumbent) 52,488 46.64% -3.86%
Economy Louis W. Carlson 4,979 4.42% +4.42%
Total votes 112,537 100.00%
1962 Wyoming Senate special election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Milward Simpson 69,043 57.84% +1.47%
Democratic Joe Hickey (incumbent) 50,329 42.16% -1.47%
Total votes 119,372 100.00%

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Judge Hickey, Former Governor-Senator, Dies". Casper Star-Tribune. September 23, 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Hickey, John Joseph". Federal Judicial Center. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  3. "Religion No Issue Here, Hickey Says". Casper Star-Tribune. July 21, 1960. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Sen. Hickey Suffers Mild Heart Attack". The Billings Gazette. October 17, 1962. p. 20. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Hickey Has Lung Cancer". Casper Star-Tribune. August 2, 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 25, 2023 via Newspapers.com.
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