Goddard, Samuel P., 1919-2006

Attorney, public servant and former Democratic governor of Arizona.

Attorney and public servant Samuel Pearson Goddard Jr. was born in Clayton, Missouri on 8 August 1919. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard University in 1941 and enlisted as a Private in the Army Air Forces shortly afterward. Between 1941 and 1946, Goddard served as an operations and communications officer in the European, Asian, and African theaters of World War II. He was discharged from the military at the rank of Major in 1946 but remained active in the Air Force Reserves.

While a student at Harvard, Goddard met Julia Enos (Judy) Hatch (1919-1999), a native of Springfield, Illinois and student at Wellesley College. Judy and Sam married on 1 July 1944 and had three sons, Terry, Tim, and Bill. During the summer of 1945, Judy Goddard moved to Tucson while her husband was stationed in the South Pacific. After being discharged, Goddard joined his family in Tucson and earned his law degree at the University of Arizona in 1949. Over the course of his career, he was a partner in law practices in both Tucson and Phoenix. His legal career paved the way for his civic activity and he became an active member of the Tucson community, serving on festival and urban development committees. Goddard also worked with national groups like the United Fund and the National Council on Philanthropy.

Goddard's involvement with the Democratic Party began in his student days. He became involved with Arizona politics in 1960 when he was elected chairman of the Arizona Democratic State Committee. He held this position from 1960 to 1962 and again from 1978 to 1991. Interested in grassroots politics and committed to social welfare reform, Goddard ran for Governor of Arizona in 1962. He lost the election to Paul Fannin but returned two years later to successfully win his second bid. Goddard served one term as governor (1965-1967) and lost his reelection campaign to Jack Williams in 1966. He ran for the office again in 1968 but was unsuccessful.

Goddard remained an active political figure and in 1972 broadened his participation by serving on the Democratic National Committee. In 1978, he resumed leadership of the Arizona State Democratic Committee, a position he held until 1991. Goddard also played an integral role in the Central Arizona Water Conservation District (CAWCD). He was elected to the CAWCD Board of Directors as a representative for Maricopa County in 1987 and served as board president from 1993 to 1994. Samuel P. Goddard died on February 1, 2006.