R. Budd Dwyer
R. Budd Dwyer | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Dwyer c. 1977 | |
| 30th Treasurer of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 20, 1981 – January 22, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Casey |
| Succeeded by | Davis Greene |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 50th district | |
| In office January 5, 1971 – January 20, 1981[1] | |
| Preceded by | James Willard |
| Succeeded by | Roy Wilt |
| Constituency | Parts of Mercer, Crawford, and Erie Counties[2] |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 6th district | |
| In office January 7, 1969 – November 30, 1970 | |
| Preceded by | District Created |
| Succeeded by | Harrison Haskell |
| Constituency | Parts of Crawford County[3] |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Crawford County district | |
| In office January 5, 1965 – November 30, 1968 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Budd Dwyer November 21, 1939 Saint Charles, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | January 22, 1987 (aged 47) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Joanne Dwyer (deceased) |
| Relations | Robert Malcolm Dwyer and Alice Mary Budd Dwyer (parents)(deceased); Ross Dwyer, Logan Seaburg (grandchildren)[4] |
| Children | Robert (Rob), Dyan (Dee Dee) |
| Alma mater | Allegheny College |
| Profession | Teacher, politician |
Robert Budd Dwyer (November 21, 1939 – January 22, 1987) was an American politician. He served from 1971 to 1981 as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate representing the state's 50th district. He served as the 30th Treasurer of Pennsylvania from January 20, 1981 to January 22, 1987. He was best known for his public suicide during a live press conference in 1987, the day before he was to be sentenced for bribery charges.[5]
Early life
[change | change source]Robert Budd Dwyer was born on November 21, 1939, in St. Charles, Missouri. He graduated in 1961 with an A.B. in Political Science and Accounting from Allegheny College[6] in Meadville, Pennsylvania.[7] After earning a master's degree in 1963, he taught social studies and coached football at a high school in Pennsylvania.[8]
Bribery conviction
[change | change source]In the early 1980s, Pennsylvania discovered its state workers had overpaid federal taxes due to errors in state withholding. Many accounting firms competed for a multimillion-dollar contract to determine compensation to each employee.
In 1986, Dwyer was convicted of receiving a bribe from a California firm trying to gain the contract. Throughout his trial and after his conviction, he maintained that he was innocent of the charge and that he had been framed. Dwyer was scheduled to be sentenced on those charges on January 23, 1987, the day after his suicide.
Suicide
[change | change source]On January 22, 1987, Dwyer called a news conference in the Pennsylvania state capital of Harrisburg where he killed himself in front of the gathered reporters with a .357 caliber revolver.[9] Dwyer's suicide was also broadcast to a wide television audience across the state of Pennsylvania.[10][11]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Cox, Harold (2004). "Pennsylvania Senate - 1981–1981" (PDF). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- ↑ Cox, Harold. "Senate Members "D"". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- ↑ Cox, Harold. "House Members "D"". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- ↑ Dwyer's wife's obituary
- ↑ "Jan. 22 marks dark anniversary of Pennsylvania Treasurer Budd Dwyer's public suicide". WGAL. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
- ↑ Department of General Services (1972). The Pennsylvania Manual. Vol. 101. Pennsylvania Bureau of Publications. p. 110.
- ↑ "Honest Man: The Life of R.Budd Dwyer (documentary movie)". Eighty Four Films. 2010.
- ↑ McHugh, Erin (April 15, 2016). Political Suicide: Missteps, Peccadilloes, Bad Calls, Backroom Hijinx, Sordid Pasts, Rotten Breaks, and Just Plain Dumb Mistakes in the Annals of American Politics. Pegasus Books. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-68177-117-5.
- ↑ Stevens, William K. (January 23, 1987). "Official calls in press and kills himself". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ↑ Myles, Jonah (January 1, 2015). "The Case of Robert Budd Dwyer, Pennsylvania State Treasurer". Media Ethics and the Fourth Commandment. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
The bullet exited out of the top of his head, leaving a bloody stream ... as more blood flowed through his nostrils and from the exit wound.
- ↑ "How Far Do You Go and How Much Do You Show: Pittsburgh Television News Media and the R. Budd Dwyer Suicide". Department of Education. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
Other websites
[change | change source]
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