Walter W. Bacon

Walter Wolfkiel Bacon (1879–1962) was an American accountant and politician from Wilmington, Delaware, in New Castle County. He was a member of the Republican Party who served as Mayor of Wilmington and Governor of Delaware.

Political Career

Beginning as a Republican Party committeeman, Bacon was elected to three terms as Mayor of Wilmington, first in 1935 and again in 1937 and 1939. Running for Governor in 1940, he defeated State Democratic Party Chairman Josiah Marvel, Jr., the Democratic Party candidate, and became the only Republican Party candidate elected to statewide office that year. He was re-elected in 1944 when he defeated Isaac J. MacCollum, the Democratic Party candidate. In all, he served two terms as Governor of Delaware, from January 21, 1941, to January 18, 1949.

Related Topics:
Republican Party - Mayor - Wilmington - Democratic Party - Governor of Delaware - 1941 - 1949

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Bacon's terms as governor were marked primarily by the events of World War II and its aftermath. Thirty-three thousand Delaware citizens served in the Armed Forces in that war, and nearly 800 died. Two were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor: Sergeant William L. Nelson of Middletown, and Sergeant James P. Connor of Wilmington. Air bases at New Castle and Dover were taken over by the U.S. Army and became major points of re-entry for returning soldiers when the war was over. Fort du Pont at Delaware City and Fort Miles at Cape Henlopen became major military installations protecting the shipping routes into the Delaware River. U-boats constantly menaced the coast from the near Atlantic, and because gas and other consumer products were mostly transported by ship, the many sinkings caused them to become very scarce. Two things not lacking were vegetables and broiler chickens; "victory gardens" producing vegetables grew all over Delaware, and the Sussex County chicken business thrived. In fact, federal price controls created such a black market in broilers that the army eventually had to seal off the Delmarva peninsula and seize the chickens to assure an adequate supply to the military.

Related Topics:
World War II - Congressional Medal of Honor - Middletown - Wilmington - New Castle - Dover - U.S. Army - Fort du Pont - Delaware City - Fort Miles - Cape Henlopen - Delaware River - U-boats - Atlantic - Chickens - Victory garden - Sussex County - Black market - Delmarva

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Through all this, Bacon steadily administered the state government. He was reputed to have been the first governor to work regular 8:30-to-5:00 hours. He managed a budget of about $13 million, and nothing made him prouder than the cash balance for the state more than doubling during his tenure. Social changes increasingly challenged the old fashioned "blue laws". When the General Assembly demonstrated reluctance to revise them, Bacon's Attorney General, James R. Morford, ordered some 500 people across the state arrested for various Sabbath offenses. After the arrestees' names appeared in local newspapers, the laws began to change.

Related Topics:
Blue laws - General Assembly - Attorney General - Sabbath

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