Philip Noel

Last updated

Joyce Sandberg
​
​
(m. 1956;died 2019)​
Philip Noel
RI Governor Philip W. Noel.jpg
68th Governor of Rhode Island
In office
January 2, 1973 –January 4, 1977
Children5
Education Brown University (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Philip William Noel (born June 6, 1931) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 68th Governor of Rhode Island. He was elected in 1972, and re-elected in 1974.

Contents

Personal life

Philip Noel was born in Warwick, Rhode Island. His parents were Joe Noel, an auto mechanic, and Emma Crudeli Noel, a jewelry worker. He attended public schools in Warwick. He was a class president at Samuel Gorton High School, and was named to Rhode Island's All-State football team during his time there.

Noel took his first job at age 15, working as a commercial fisherman. [1] Noel later accepted a football scholarship to Georgetown University. He transferred to Brown University when Georgetown dropped its football program. [2] He received a degree in Economics from Brown in 1954, then returned to Georgetown University to study Law, with the goal of joining the FBI. While still in school, he obtained a job from Democratic Rhode Island Senator John O. Pastore in the Senate post office.

After receiving his J.D. degree, Noel began his professional career as a solo practitioner, with law offices in Providence and Warwick.

Noel married Joyce Anne Sandberg on October 20, 1956. [3] Sandberg was Miss Rhode Island for 1953 and participated in the 1953 Miss America pageant. She was also Miss Rhode Island USA for 1954 and participated in the 1954 Miss USA pageant. [4] They had five children.

Political career

Encouraged by Senator Pastore, Noel ran for the Warwick city council in 1958. He lost his first campaign, but was elected in 1960, and served three terms. In 1966 he was elected Mayor of Warwick, serving from 1967 to 1973 (three terms). [5] In 1972 he mounted a successful campaign to become Governor of Rhode Island. Senator Pastore announced his retirement from the Senate in late 1975. In January 1976, Noel announced a bid for the Democratic nomination to succeed Pastore.

As governor, Noel sponsored legislation creating the Rhode Island Port Authority with power to take control over Quonset Point, Davisville, and other relinquished U.S. military property. He established the Rhode Island Department of Economic Development. He sponsored legislation which established the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corporation (RIHMFC).

Noel was tasked by President Nixon to travel to China on a diplomatic mission. President Ford appointed Noel to the US Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

In 1976 Noel was the Acting Chairman of the Platform Committee for that year's Democratic National Convention. He was also the Chairman of the Democratic Governors' Conference.

After an unsuccessful bid for a U.S. Senate seat in 1976, Phil resumed the practice of law in Providence and Washington, became a successful real estate developer, and founded several start-up companies in the petroleum industry, most of them based in Louisiana. In his sunset years, Noel remained active in various business enterprises including a Warwick marina and country club.

Controversy

In early 1976 Noel was criticized for remarks he made characterizing the conditions of poverty in a "black ghetto". In May he stepped down as chair of the Democratic National Convention's Platform Committee as a response to the controversy over his remarks. Later the same month, he survived a helicopter crash on the University of Rhode Island campus. Noel narrowly lost the September primary election to automobile dealer Richard Lorber. Lorber lost the general election to former United States Secretary of the Navy John Chafee.

Post-political life

After he completed his term as governor, Noel returned to his law practice.

Noel and his wife lived in semi-retirement in Estero, Florida. [1] He no longer takes clients, but still does legal work for his family's various companies, including commercial real estate and a rice farm in Louisiana. [1] Noel spends about half the year in Florida and half in Warwick, where he owns a marina and country club. [1] He has three great-grandchildren. [1]

In 2011, Noel was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. [6]

His wife, former Rhode Island First Lady Joyce Anne Noel, died on February 13, 2019. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Chafee</span> American politician (born 1953)

Lincoln Davenport Chafee is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island, from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a Democrat from 2013 to 2019; in 2019, he became a Libertarian, having previously been a Republican until September 2007 and an independent and then a Democrat in the interim. He is the last non-Democrat to hold statewide and/or Congressional office in Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Chafee</span> American politician (1922–1999)

John Lester Hubbard Chafee was an American politician and officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as the Secretary of the Navy, and as a United States Senator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore F. Green</span> American politician (1867–1966)

Theodore Francis Green was an American politician from Rhode Island. A Democrat, Green served as the 57th Governor of Rhode Island (1933–1937) and in the United States Senate (1937–1961). Green was a strong supporter of Wilsonian internationalism during the administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. He served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1957 to 1959. At the time of his retirement in 1961, he set the record at age 93 of the oldest person to serve in the Senate; the record was subsequently broken by Strom Thurmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Sprague III</span> American politician

William Sprague, also known as William III or William Sprague III, was a politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Rhode Island, serving as the 14th Governor, a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator. He was the uncle of William Sprague IV, also a Governor and Senator from Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Pastore</span> American lawyer and politician (1907–2000)

John Orlando Pastore was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as a United States Senator from Rhode Island from 1950 to 1976 and as the 61st governor of Rhode Island from 1945 to 1950. He was the first Italian American elected to the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William S. Flynn</span> American politician

William Smith Flynn of Providence, Rhode Island, was the 54th Governor of Rhode Island from 1923 to 1925. He was a progressive Democrat.

The Miss Rhode Island USA competition is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state Rhode Island in the Miss USA pageant. It is currently directed by D&D Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Brown Francis</span> American politician

John Brown Francis was a governor and United States Senator from Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Licht</span> American politician

Frank Licht was an American politician and the 67th Governor of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1973, serving as the first Jewish governor in Rhode Island state history. He was also an associate justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court from 1956 to 1968 and a member of the Rhode Island Senate from 1949 to 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John S. McKiernan</span> American politician

John Sammon McKiernan was an American politician who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island from 1947 to 1950 and 1951–1956 and briefly the 62nd Governor of Rhode Island (1950–1951).

Since the Great Depression, Rhode Island politics have been dominated by the Rhode Island Democratic Party, and the state is considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall." Democrats have won all but four presidential elections since 1928, with the exceptions being 1952, 1956, 1972, and 1984. The Rhode Island Republican Party, although virtually non-existent in the Rhode Island General Assembly, has remained competitive in gubernatorial elections, having won one as recently as 2006. Until 2014, Democrats had not won a gubernatorial election in the state since 1992, and it was not until 2018 that they won one by double digits. The Rhode Island General Assembly has continuously been under Democratic control since 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Rhode Island gubernatorial election</span>

The 2014 Rhode Island gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor of Rhode Island, concurrently with the election of Rhode Island's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States Senate election in Rhode Island</span>

The 2014 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate from the State of Rhode Island, concurrently with the election of the governor of Rhode Island, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Erin Patricia Lynch Prata is an American politician and an Associate Justice on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. She previously served in the Rhode Island Senate representing District 31 since January 2009. Lynch Prata served as Chairwoman on the Senate Committee on Judiciary, as well as a member of the Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics & Oversight and the Senate Committee on Special Legislation & Veterans' Affairs. She focused on issues including public education, economic development, job growth, health care and environmental protection. She was confirmed to be an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court in December 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 United States Senate election in Rhode Island</span>

The 1976 United States Senate election in Rhode Island took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John O. Pastore did not seek re-election. Republican John Chafee won the seat, defeating Democrat Richard P. Lorber. Chafee was the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Rhode Island since 1930.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Rhode Island gubernatorial election</span>

The 2018 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of Rhode Island, concurrently with the election of Rhode Island's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

Joyce Anne Noel was an American former beauty queen who served as the First Lady of Rhode Island from 1973 to 1977. Noel, then known by her maiden name of Joyce Sandberg, was crowned Miss Rhode Island in 1953 and Miss Rhode Island USA in 1954, becoming the only woman win both state pageants to date. She later served as Rhode Island's first lady during the tenure of her husband, former Governor Philip Noel.

James O. McManus was an American politician. Between 1939 and 1941 he was lieutenant governor of the state of Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Rhode Island lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the lieutenant governor of the state of Rhode Island. The election coincided with various other federal and state elections, including for Governor of Rhode Island. Primary elections were held on September 13. Rhode Island is one of 21 states that elects its lieutenant governor separately from its governor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Parker, Paul Edward (March 3, 2018). "Where Are They Now?: Former R.I Gov. Noel is never far from fishing". The Providence Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  2. ↑ At Brown University Noel was named to the school's All-Decade football team.
  3. ↑ "Joyce Anne Noel". Warwick Beacon. February 19, 2019. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Miller, G. Wayne (February 15, 2019). "Former R.I. First Lady Joyce Anne Noel has died". Providence Journal . Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  5. ↑ "The Political Graveyard: Warwick, Rhode Island".
  6. ↑ RI Heritage Hall of Fame, Inductees. Accessed 7 August 2012
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Rhode Island
1972, 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Democratic Governors Association
1975–1976		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Rhode Island
1973–1977		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Senator Order of precedence of the United States
Within Rhode Island		Succeeded byas Former Governor
Preceded byas Former Governor Order of precedence of the United States
Outside Rhode Island
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.