117 Years Ago
Mayor John F. Vivian and son, John C., left Saturday evening for Chicago, to attend the national republican convention.
Colorado Transcript - June 18, 1908
In addition to his service as Golden's mayor, John F. Vivian led the County’s Republican party for decades. In taking his 19-year-old son to the Republican National Convention, he was grooming him for a career in politics.
John C. Vivian was born in Golden in 1889. He graduated from Golden High School in 1905 before earning a bachelor’s degree at CU Boulder and a law degree from Denver University. He served as the Golden City Attorney from 1914-1917 and the Jefferson County Attorney from 1922-1932. He was the Lieutenant Governor under Ralph Carr from 1939-1943 and served his own turn as Governor from 1943-1947.
John C. and his wife lived in the Wide Acres neighborhood (near Colorado Mills Mall). There was no Governor’s Mansion at that time, so he commuted every day from Golden to his office in Denver. The State of Colorado archives say he “drove himself around in an older high mileage state-owned vehicle.” The Jefferson County archives say he commuted on the interurban streetcar.
The Transcript clearly had mixed feelings about Governor Vivian. On one hand they were filled with hometown pride over having a Golden-based Governor. On the other–well, he was a Republican, and they were a fiercely Democratic newspaper. Tough position!
Both Vivians are buried in the Golden Cemetery.
