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Military Service: Army

War(s) Served:  World War I

WILLIAM T. GARDINER, the fifty-fifth governor of Maine, was born in Newton, Massachusetts on June 12, 1892. His education was attained at the Groton School, and at Harvard University, where he earned his law degree in 1917. During World War I, he served as a private, and later rose to the rank of first lieutenant of the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. He served overseas and participated in the operation that attained the Italian Armistice. After his military service, Gardiner established his legal career in Portland, Maine. He entered politics in 1920, serving as a member of the Maine House of Representatives, a position he held six years. In 1928, Gardiner won the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and then went on to win the general election by a popular vote. He was reelected to a second term in 1930. During his tenure, the administrative code was sanctioned, which consolidated state government and restructured the judicial system. Also, when the stock market crashed, the crippling economic problems were dealt with. After completing his term, Gardiner left office on January 4, 1933, and retired from political life. Governor William T. Gardiner passed away on August 3, 1953, and was buried at the Christ Church Cemetery in Gardiner, Maine.

Sources:

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

The Political Graveyard

Governors of Maine--compiled by the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library