Frank O'Bannon

Frank O'Bannon

Frank Lewis O'Bannon (January 30, 1930 – September 13, 2003) was an American politician who was the 47th Governor of Indiana from 1997 until his death in 2003.

O'Bannon is a native of Corydon, Indiana. He attended Corydon Central High School and then Indiana University, where he met his wife Judy. In Corydon he served as a practicing attorney and a newspaper publisher for The Corydon Democrat before his entrance into the political arena.

Originally elected to the state senate in 1969, O'Bannon worked his way up in leadership, becoming one of the bodies most prominent members. He was briefly a candidate for Governor of Indiana in 1988, however, instead of facing a hotly competitive primary, O'Bannon dropped out of the race and accepted the position of running mate under Evan Bayh. The Bayh/O'Bannon ticket was successful, and O'Bannon served in the role as Lieutenant Governor for 8 years. In this position he served as President of the state senate, and directed the state's agriculture and commerce programs.

In 1996 O'Bannon made a bid for Governor. He was initially considered a heavy underdog, but emerged a narrow victor over Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. He was heavily re-elected in 2000 over Congressman David M. McIntosh. As Governor, O'Bannon was known for advocating for education related issues and helped create the state's Amber Alert System. He presided over a period of economic prosperity for the state in the 1990s and served as a term as Chairman of Midwestern Governors Association.

In 2003 O'Bannon suffered a massive stroke in Chicago, Illinois while attending a trade conference. He died days later and was succeeded by his Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan. Several memorials were dedicated to his memory and his wife still remains active in community and political issues.