Roy Romer

Roy Rudolf Romer (born October 31, 1928) is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Colorado from 1987 to 1999, and subsequently as the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2000 to 2006. Romer was a member of the Democratic Party. He is the father of Paul Romer, a recipient of the 2018 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.

Roy Romer
Romer in 2019
Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District
In office June 7, 2000 – November 13, 2006
Preceded by	Ramon C. Cortines (acting)
Succeeded by	David L. Brewer III
General Chair of the Democratic National Committee
In office January 21, 1997 – September 25, 1999 Served with Steven Grossman (National Chair)
Preceded by	Chris Dodd
Succeeded by	Ed Rendell
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office August 4, 1992 – August 17, 1993
Preceded by	John Ashcroft
Succeeded by	Carroll A. Campbell Jr.
39th Governor of Colorado
In office January 13, 1987 – January 12, 1999
Lieutenant	Mike Callihan Samuel H. Cassidy Gail Schoettler
Preceded by	Richard Lamm
Succeeded by	Bill Owens
Treasurer of Colorado
In office March 23, 1977 – January 13, 1987
Governor	Richard Lamm
Preceded by	Sam Brown
Succeeded by	Gail Schoettler
Personal details
Born	Roy Rudolf Romer (1928-10-31) October 31, 1928 (age 96) Garden City, Kansas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Bea Miller ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 2023)​
Children	7, including Paul and Chris
Education	Colorado State University (BA) University of Colorado, Boulder (LLB) Yale University
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Conflict	Korean War

Background and personal life

Romer was born in Garden City, Kansas, on October 31, 1928, the son of Margaret Elizabeth (Snyder) and Irving Rudolph Romer.^[1][2] He grew up in the southeastern Colorado town of Holly. Romer received a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Colorado State University in 1950, where he served for one year as President of the Associated Students of Colorado State University. He later received a law degree from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1952.^[1] He also studied ethics for one year at Yale Divinity School, and was a legal officer in the U.S. Air Force.

Romer was married to Beatrice Miller Romer for 70 years, until her death in 2023.^[3] They had seven children, including Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, and Chris Romer, who was elected to a Colorado State Senate seat from Denver in 2006.^[4] His granddaughter, Rachel Romer is the co-founder and CEO of Guild Education.^[5]

Political career

Colorado state government

Romer as governor.

Romer served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1958 to 1962 and in the Colorado Senate from 1962 to 1966. In 1966, Romer unsuccessfully challenged Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Allott.

Romer was Colorado State Treasurer from 1977 to 1987 (winning re-election to full four-year terms in 1978 and 1982), and a member of the governor's cabinet. Romer was first elected as governor in 1986, and re-elected in 1990 and 1994; he was the second Colorado governor to serve three terms.^[6] In 1997, Romer, along with Utah Governor Michael O. Leavitt and Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer, led a bipartisan team of 19 state governors in the founding of Western Governors University.

National political positions

Romer chaired the Democratic Governors Association in 1991. In 1992, he was co-chairman of the Democratic National Platform Committee. Romer served as national vice chair of the Democratic Leadership Council, and was a national co-chairman of the Clinton-Gore '96 campaign. In 1997, Romer was elected to serve as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee.^[1]

From 1992 to 1993, Romer served as chair of the National Governors Association.^[1]

Romer v. Evans

In law, his name is associated with the anti-discrimination suit Romer v. Evans that was brought to the Supreme Court during his tenure as Governor of Colorado. Though he was opposed to the amendment to the Constitution of Colorado in question, he defended the law, which prevented protected status based upon homosexuality or bisexuality, in state and federal court in his position as Governor during litigation. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled against the state's defense of Amendment 2, that it had “a rational relationship to legitimate state interests". The Court then invalidated Amendment 2 under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Federal Constitution. The state ultimately failed to give a "rational basis" to the purpose of the law. The case did not go as far to ruling that gays and lesbians are protected as intermediate or strict scrutiny under the Fourteenth Amendment and left that question to lower federal and state courts to decide.

Professional activities

On June 7, 2000,^[7] he became Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, where he served for six years. On October 12, 2006, the Los Angeles Board of Education unanimously named David L. Brewer III as his successor.

On April 25, 2007, Roy Romer began his service as the chairman and lead spokesman for Strong American Schools, a nonprofit project responsible for running Ed in 08, an information and initiative campaign funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad foundation, aimed at encouraging 2008 presidential contenders to include education in their campaign policies.^[8]

Honors and awards

In 2008, Roy Romer Middle School in Los Angeles was named after him and it was first opened to students in September of that year.^[9]