John David Vanderhoof

John David Vanderhoof (born May 27, 1922) served as the 37th Governor of Colorado from 1973-1975 as a Republican. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Colorado under John Arthur Love from 1971 until 1973 when Love was appointed to the National Energy Policy Office by President Richard Nixon. Born in Rocky Ford, Colorado, Vanderhoof was a banker and served in Naval Aviation during World War II, and received two Purple Hearts, the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals. Vanderhoof was elected to the Colorado State House of Representatives in 1950, and served twenty years until 1970. He was a former chairman of the Game and Fish Committee and Business Affairs Committee of the House. Minority floor leader during the 43rd General Assembly and elected Speaker of the House for the 44th, 46th, and 47th General Assemblies. Vanderhoof graduated from Glendale College in California in 1942 and was the first lieutenant governor elected under a new constitutional provision calling for the joint election of Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

In 2010, Richard Kevin Griffis, a graduate student at the University of Phoenix was assigned the task of tracking down the Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock by his Professor Joseph Gutheinz. He discovered that the Colorado Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock was missing, which led to the admission by Vanderhoof that he had possession of one of two Colorado moon rock displays that was presented to the state of Colorado by President Richard Nixon in 1970s. Vanderhoof voluntarily surrendered the rock, which at the time was estimated to be worth $5 million. The rock was subsequently put on display at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum.