James Spainhower (August 3,1928 –December 12,2018 [1] ) was an American Democratic politician from Missouri. He served four terms in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1963 to 1970 and two terms as the State Treasurer of Missouri from 1973 to 1981. [2]
Jim Spainhower was born in Stanberry,Missouri,the youngest of fourteen children. He attended an elementary school in Stanberry,and attended Maryville High School in Maryville,Missouri,graduating in 1946. Following graduation from high school,he attended Phillips University in Enid,Oklahoma,earning a bachelor's degree in history in 1950. Three years later,in 1953,he earned a bachelor's degree in divinity from Lexington Theological Seminary. On June 10,1950,he married the former Joanne Steanson of Ponca City,Oklahoma. The couple has two children. Prior to entering politics,he served as an ordained Disciples of Christ minister,serving pastorates in Fayetteville,Arkansas,Marshall,Missouri,Bosworth,Missouri,Mendon,Missouri,Grand Pass,Missouri and Oakland,Missouri. He received both his master's degree and Ph.D in Political Science from the University of Missouri,as well as numerous honorary doctorates from colleges and universities throughout the country. Jim's brother,John Spainhower,a long-time coach and athletic director at Kirksville High School is a member of the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. [3]
From 1963 to 1970,Spainhower served in the Missouri House of Representatives,where he was a member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the House Education Committee. During his tenure in the state legislature,he also earned master's and doctoral degrees in political science from the University of Missouri. In 1972,he was elected as State Treasurer of Missouri,and served in that post from 1973 to 1981. Unable to seek a third term as State Treasurer in 1980,he was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Missouri,losing the Democratic Party nomination to incumbent Joseph P. Teasdale.
Spainhower threw his hat into the ring for the 1976 United States Senate election in Missouri after the initial Democratic nominee Jerry Litton was killed while flying to the victory party. On August 21,the Democratic state committee selected Warren E. Hearnes as the replacement nominee over Spainhower by a 38 to 22 vote. Hearnes lost the general election to John Danforth who garnered 56.9% of the vote. [4]
Following his tenure as State Treasurer,Spainhower held the posts of President of the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout,Missouri,President of Lindenwood University in St. Charles,Missouri and President of the Division of Higher Education for the Disciples of Christ denomination. He and his wife subsequently moved to Rogers,Arkansas,where he served as an interim pastor at several churches in Bella Vista,Arkansas,Harrison,Arkansas and Bentonville,Arkansas. He and his wife lived in Raymore,Missouri until the time of his death. [5]
Maryville is a city and county seat of Nodaway County,Missouri,United States. Located in the "Missouri Point" region,As of the 2020 census,the city population was 10,633. Maryville is home to Northwest Missouri State University and Northwest Technical School. Maryville is the second-largest city wholly within the boundaries of the 1836 Platte Purchase which expanded Missouri's borders into former Indian Territory in northwest Missouri.
Robert Lee Holden Jr. is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of Missouri from 2001 to 2005. A member of the Democratic Party,he previously served as the Missouri state treasurer from 1993 to 2001 and represented the 136th district in the Missouri House of Representatives from 1983 to 1989. Since leaving public office,Holden has worked at Webster University,where he founded the Holden Public Policy Forum,and serves as the president and chairman of the United States Heartland China Association.
Warren Eastman Hearnes was an American politician who served as the 46th governor of Missouri from 1965 to 1973. 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.
Northwest Missouri State University is a public university in Maryville,Missouri,United States. It has an enrollment of 9,152 students. Founded in 1905 as a teachers college,its campus is based on the design for Forest Park at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair and is the official Missouri State Arboretum. The school is governed by a state-appointed Board of Regents and headed by President Lance Tatum.
Joseph Patrick Teasdale was an American politician. A Democrat,he served as the 48th Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. Teasdale was formerly a prosecutor for Jackson County,Missouri. In 1972,he made his first bid for governor,placing third in the Democratic primary,but attaining name recognition and the nickname "Walking Joe". In 1976,after initially running for U.S. Senate,Teasdale switched races and made a second bid for the Governor's office. He won the nomination and defeated incumbent Kit Bond in an upset. In 1980,Teasdale beat back a primary challenge from State Treasurer Jim Spainhower,but was defeated by Bond in a rematch. After leaving office,Teasdale returned to practicing law until his death.
Phillips University was a private university in Enid,Oklahoma. It opened in 1906 and closed in 1998. It was affiliated with the Christian Church. It included an undergraduate college and a graduate seminary. The university was also home to the Enid-Phillips Symphony Orchestra,and its campus regularly hosted events for the Tri-State Music Festival.
Missouri Western State University is a public university in St. Joseph,Missouri. As of 2023,it enrolled 3,815 students.
Maryville High School is the public high school for Maryville,Missouri. It is the only institution to have the Spoofhound for a mascot. It is a Missouri State High School Activities Association Class III school. The present high school building on the southwest side of Maryville opened in the 1965-66 school year.
Mel Tjeerdsma is a retired American football coach and athletic director at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville,Missouri. He served as the head coach at Austin College in Sherman,Texas from 1984 to 1993 and at Northwest Missouri State University from 1994 until his retirement after the 2010 season. In his 27 years as a head coach,Tjeerdsma compiled a career college football record of 242–82–4. He led the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats to three NCAA Division II Football Championship titles and four additional NCAA Division II titles games.
Herman A. "Bud" Millikan was the head coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team from 1950 to 1967. He compiled a 243–182 record.
Richard Lawrence 'Larry' Carp was an attorney-at-law,senior partner in the Clayton,Missouri firm of Carp &Sexauer. A long-time advocate for reform in Missouri Democratic politics,he was the Democratic nominee for Congress from the 2nd congressional district in 1960,losing to Republican incumbent Thomas B. Curtis in the general election;and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Missouri State Treasurer in 1972,losing the primary election to Dr. James Spainhower,who was elected to the office in the general election. Carp later went on to head the Missouri chapter of Common Cause.
Ryland Harp "Taffy" Milner was an American football and basketball coach. He was the ninth head football coach at Northwest Missouri State College–now known as Northwest Missouri State University—in Maryville,Missouri,serving for 21 seasons,from 1937 to 1957,and compiling a record of 91–62–13. Milner was the head basketball coach at Northwest Missouri State from 1943 to 1950,tallying a mark of 67–60. He was also the school's athletic director from 1958 to 1975.
George Warwick Lehr was an American Democratic politician from Missouri who served as the state auditor from 1975 to 1977. He started his career when in 1963,he was appointed auditor of Jackson County,Missouri. He was later elected as the county executive,becoming the first county executive,replacing the old system of a county judge being executive. He was elected state auditor in 1974,defeating future U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. Lehr resigned in 1977 to spend more time with his family,including his son who had suffered muscular dystrophy. After leaving office,he was credited with helping to clean the Teamster's pension fund. Lehr developed brain tumors and died in 1988.
Clint Zweifel,is an American politician and businessman who served as the State Treasurer of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the most recent member of the party to hold that office. Following his service as State Treasurer,he was appointed as a managing director with Northern Trust,leading a multi-disciplinary team that includes banking,investment management,and trust/advisory services.
Kenneth A. Miller is an American educator and Republican politician from Oklahoma. Miller was the 18th Oklahoma State Treasurer,having won that position in the 2010 state election and served the maximum 2 four year terms allowed under state term limits.
Mike Thomson is a Republican former member of the Missouri House of Representatives. Thomson represented the 1st District,encompassing all or portions of Atchison,Holt,Nodaway,and Worth counties in northwest Missouri. Previously this district was known as the 4th. However the 2010 U.S. Census led to redistricting and renumbering across Missouri. Having served in the Missouri House since first being elected in 2006,Thomson is term-limited from running again in 2014.
Adam Dorrel is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for the University of Central Oklahoma,a position he has held since 2022. In only his third year at the helm for UCO he led the team to its first playoff berth in over 20 years. Previously Dorrel was the head coach at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville,Missouri from 2011 to 2016,and Abilene Christian in Abilene,Texas,from 2017 to 2021. While at Northwest Missouri State he led the program to three undefeated seasons and the NCAA Division II Football Championship in 2013,2015,and 2016.
The 1976 United States Senate election in Missouri took place on November 2,1976. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Stuart Symington decided to retire,instead of seeking a fifth term.
Barry Stephen Odom is an football coach and former linebacker who is the head football coach at Purdue University. He previously served as the head coach at the University of Nevada,Las Vegas from 2023 to 2024,and the University of Missouri from 2016 to 2019. Odom played college football at Missouri from 1996 to 1999 and became a coach there in 2005.
Robert William Appleby was an American football and baseball player and coach. He was a two-sport athlete at the Arkansas State Teachers College,playing guard for the football team and pitching for the baseball team. He also played professional baseball for parts of at least three seasons,including a stint at Jonesboro during which he pitched seven consecutive shutouts and 67 scoreless innings.