Nevada. Governor. Balzar, Fred B., 1880-1934.

Frederick Bennett Balzar was born in Virginia City, Nevada, on June 15, 1880. His father, a native of the Canton of Valais, Switzerland, came to the United States in 1872 and became a miner. The son was educated in the public schools of Nevada and California and was graduated at the Polytechnic high school in San Francico.

His early career was varied and picturesque; it included stage driving, ranching, mining, and railroading, and in every vocation he displayed unusual character, executive ability and a pleasing personality. While employed as a conductor on the Carson and Colorado branch of the Southern Pacific, he would frequently stop his train and furnish some weary horseman with water, or allow traveling prospectors to board the train with their packs. During 1912-1914 he conducted a meat business at Mina, Nevada.

Active in politics as a Republican, he served successively in the Sate Assembly, 1905-1906; as justice of the peace, 1906; State Senator, 1909-1916; sheriff and assessor of Mineral County, 1917-1926; and was chairman of the Republican state central committee, 1924-1925. In 1926 he waselected Governor of Nevada and in 1930 was re-elected. An astute businessman, his administration of the state affairs was notable, his accomplishments including a reduction in the state's bonded indebtedness from $1,712,000 in 1927 to $907,000 in 1934 and a substantial cut in administrativeexpenses. By and act of the legislature, he became, with the Attorney-General and Controller, a member of the State Highway Commission which built1000 miles of new roads and reconstructed most of the old highways. He was active with Nevada's representataives in congress in procuring legislation providing for the construction of Boulder Dam and in collecting from the national government Nevada's Territorial Civil War debt. During his administration, also, the Legislature enacted laws which reduced the period of residence required of applicants for divorce from six months to three, and later from three months to six weeks.

Balzar was well versed in the law, and was a brilliant extemporaneous speaker. In religion he was a Christian Scientist. He was an honorary member of the Lions and Rotary Clubs and the American Legion, and was a 32nd degree Mason.

He died in Carson City, Nevada on March 21, 1934.

From the description of Papers. Balzar, Fred B. 1927-1934. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122526871