Preceded by Wesley Powell Education Harvard University Political party Democratic Party Democratic Party | Religion Roman Catholic Name John King Resigned January 2, 1969 | |
 | ||
Born October 10, 1918
Manchester, New Hampshire ( 1918-10-10 ) Role Former Governor of New Hampshire Died August 9, 1996, Manchester, New Hampshire, United States Previous office Governor of New Hampshire (1963–1969) | ||
Succeeded by Walter R. Peterson, Jr. | ||
John William King (October 10, 1918 – August 9, 1996) was an American lawyer, jurist, and Democratic politician from Manchester, New Hampshire. He received his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1943. He practiced law in Manchester and served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. In 1962 he was elected Governor of New Hampshire, becoming only the third Democratic Governor of the Granite State in 88 years, and the first since Fred Herbert Brown lost the 1924 election. After his three terms as Governor of New Hampshire, he served on the New Hampshire Supreme Court from 1979, and as its Chief Justice from 1981 until 1986.
As Governor, King instituted the first state lottery in the nation since 1894. He was a major hawk and a fierce supporter of President Lyndon B. Johnson during the Vietnam War.
During his attacks on Senator Eugene McCarthy, Johnson's challenger in the New Hampshire primary, King questioned McCarthy's national loyalty and also warned that a strong vote for "the appeaser," would be "greeted with cheers in Hanoi."
King was a Roman Catholic and after his death in 1996 he was buried in the New St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Bedford, New Hampshire.