Bob Wise

Robert Ellsworth Wise Jr. (born January 6, 1948) is an American politician who served as the 33rd Governor of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005.

Wise was born on January 6, 1948.

He was raised in the Kanawha Valley of Kanawha County, West Virginia, with his two sisters and attended George Washington High School in nearby Charleston.

His father worked in insurance, for McDonough Caperton Group, for thirty years.

Wise ran track and field in high school – the half-mile and mile – and was elected vice president of the student body.

Wise has won every election he's been in since then.

Wise enrolled at Duke University in 1966, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science four years later.

After leaving Duke, Wise applied to law school, working as an aide in a California mental health facility until he was accepted at the University of Houston.

Wise relocated to Texas for his studies, eventually transferring to the Tulane University School of Law.

He waited tables in New Orleans, working nightshifts while he obtained his Juris Doctor.

Wise also advocated for coal miners seeking workers compensation and supported community renewal efforts for the 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster victims.

Wise graduated from Tulane in 1975 and opened his first law practice in Charleston.

In his early days as a lawyer Wise helped create West Virginians for a Fair and Equitable Assessment of Taxes (FEAT), a group interested in property tax reform.

In 1978, he once more helped with redevelopment issues for those affected by the Mingo County Floods.

Wise began his political career in 1980, running for public office against State Senate President William Brotherton in the County Democratic primary in Kanawha.

With endorsement from the West Virginia Education Association and other West Virginian labor organizations, Wise defeated Brotherton in an upset primary election and went on to win the general election in November, gaining a seat in the West Virginia Senate.

In his early days on the political scene, Wise was noted for having a lively campaign style, especially at rallies, and was referred to as "the Boy Wonder of West Virginia politics” by the Charleston Daily Mail in 1982.

In 1982, Bob Wise ran for the United States Congress.

He came out of a highly competitive Democratic primary victorious and continued on to beat incumbent Republican congressman Mick Staton with 58 percent of the vote.

Wise's win against Staton would be the first of nine consecutive elections to the U.S. House of Representatives.

A member of the Democratic Party, Wise also served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2001.

During his 18-year turn (1983 – 2001) in the House, Wise ran once unopposed, in 1990, and had majorities as high as 74 percent – in 1988, against Republican Paul Hart – and 64 percent – in 1994 against Republican Samuel Cravotta.

While he was a member of Congress, Wise held such posts as regional whip, at-large whip, and parliamentarian.

He represented the Second Congressional District which reaches from Harpers Ferry to the Ohio River and is considered to be one of the largest Districts eastward of the Mississippi River.

In this same period Wise joined the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which allowed him to obtain federal aid for road projects in West Virginia.

During his time in congress, Wise also served as a member on the House Committee on Education and Labor and on the Democratic Party Leadership team.

Among his biggest achievements during this time were the Chemical Right to Know legislation, the Wise Amendment to the Clean Air Act, and the Federal Mental Health Parity legislation.

It was during Wise's time in congress that another West Virginian, and at one time the longest-serving member of Congress, Robert C. Byrd, called Wise “a steam engine with britches,” referring to Wise's tireless dedication and service to his constituents.

In 2000, after 18 years in congress, Bob Wise left his now secure seat and returned to West Virginia to win the Democratic Primary for governorship with 63 percent of the vote.

Wise then went on to challenge Republican incumbent Cecil H. Underwood.

Wise highlighted the economy, education, health care, and the energy industry in his campaign speeches.

In the end, Wise got just over 50 percent of the vote while Underwood received 47.

Wise was sworn in as governor on January 15, 2001, by Circuit Judge Dan O'Hanlon.

In his inauguration speech, Wise spoke once more of improving health care and education as well as turning the economy around.

Shortly after taking the position of governor, Wise had to deal with widespread flooding in record amounts throughout southern West Virginia.

Given a wide berth by the legislature for his handling of the flooding, Wise was able to move forward with his education and health care agendas.

In education, Wise pushed for the funding of his Promise (Providing Real Opportunities for Maximizing Instate Student Excellence) scholarships.

The program was funded through video lottery revenue, and inspired by the HOPE scholarship program in Georgia.

In 2005 Wise became the president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, a nonprofit organization that focuses on reforming the nation's high schools.

In 2015, North Carolina State University honored Wise with the William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovation's Friday Medal which recognizes significant, distinguished and enduring contributions to education through advocating innovation, advancing education and imparting inspiration.