National Governors Association Centennial

1970-1979
1970		1970 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 25-27) At the Winter Meeting, President Richard Nixon addresses governors regarding his welfare reform plan, known as the Family Assistance Program. 1970 Annual Meeting: Lake of the Ozarks, MO (August 9-12) Chair: John Love, CO At the Annual Meeting, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget tells governors about a proposal to consolidate environmental programs in a new federal Environmental Protection Agency. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger addresses governors about the need for the reform of prison conditions. Governors endorse continuation of the Highway Trust Fund and creation of separate Airport/Airways Development an Urban Mass Transportation Trust Funds. At their annual meeting, Governors adopt a resolution to declare the third week in April "Earth Week" in the states. Also adopted is a resolution urging the federal government to establish welfare assistance standards that account for regional and other geographic differences. The National and American Football Leagues merge to become the NFL. Diana Nyad swims 102.5 miles from the Island of Bimini to Florida. Poet Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is published. The floppy computer disk is introduced. The first "Earth Day" is held to promote environmental protection. The Apollo 13 lunar mission is cut short due to an explosion in the service module that deprives the three astronauts on board of oxygen and forces them to take refuge in the lunar module while mission scientists arrange for repair of the service module. In an effort to revive the ailing passenger rail service industry, Congress passes the Rail Passenger Service Act, creating "Amtrak," which begins operating a nationwide rail system. The Clean Air Act establishes ambient air quality standards and sets limits on stationary and mobile source emissions to be enforced by the states as well as by the federal government. The Federal Airport Act of 1970 reflects NGA's endorsement of the creation of an Airport and Airway Trust Fund. President Richard Nixon is granted the power by Congress to impose wage and price controls to mitigate the effects of recession. During a demonstration protesting President Richard Nixon's decision to bomb Cambodia, four Kent State University students are killed by National Guard troops ordered to the campus by the Ohio Governor James Rhodes. Former Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton is appointed by President Richard Nixon to head a Commission on Campus Unrest in the wake of Kent State and the deaths of two students at Jackson State University in Mississippi. Despite strong anti-busing sentiment in his state, Virginia Governor Linwood Holton escorts his daughter to a predominantly African-American school in Richmond, where a busing plan is in effect. Delaware Governor Russell Peterson imposes a moratorium on industrial development of state coastal areas. California passes the nation's first no-fault divorce law.
1971		1971 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 23-25) At the Winter Meeting, President Richard Nixon briefs governors on plans for a federal revenue sharing program. 1971 Annual Meeting: San Juan, PR (September 12-15) Chair: Warren Hearnes, MO At the Annual Meeting, Vice President Spiro Agnew reports positive response to the administration's wage-price freeze sparked by rising inflation. Governors are presented with proposals under consideration for national health insurance. In the wake of the Attica (New York) state prison riots, governors discuss prison programs and practices. Experts discuss pros and cons of no-fault auto insurance. Rule of Haiti passes from Papa Doc Duvalier to his son Jean-Claude, known as "Baby Doc." Former Pentagon employee Daniel Ellsberg leaks the Pentagon Papers-a top-secret Defense Department history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam-to the New York Times. American philosopher John Rawls' A Theory of Justice is published. Disney World opens in Orlando, Florida. Jack Nicklaus becomes the first professional golfer to win all four major golf championships twice in his career. CBS begins broadcasting creator Norman Lear's All in the Family, a groundbreaking situation comedy that addresses controversial issues such as racism for the first time on American television. At Madison Square Garden, heavyweight boxers Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier fight the first of three matchups. The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (lowering the voting age to 18) is adopted. The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg County that busing is an appropriate remedy to the problem of racial segregation in schools. A federal ban on cigarette advertising on radio and television takes effect. Emergency Employment Act is adopted by Congress to create 100,000 jobs with state and local governments. Former Delaware Governor Russell W. Peterson is appointed Chairman of the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals by the Department of Justice. Melvin Evans is elected the first black governor of the Virgin Islands. California Governor Ronald Reagan tries to stop rural legal assistance by vetoing funding, which triggers debate over funding of legal aid attorneys. Riots at Attica Prison in New York State, the result of overcrowding, last for four days. Governor Nelson Rockefeller orders an attack on the prison to free 50 hostages taken by inmates. A total of 43 deaths occur, 39 of them as control of the prison is retaken.
1972		1972 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 22-24) Representatives of the National Welfare Rights Organization disrupt the Winter Meeting during discussion of welfare reform. 1972 Annual Meeting: Houston, TX (June 4-7) Chair: Arch Moore Jr., WV At their Annual Meeting, governors discuss rising crime rates and drug abuse. Astronaut Alan Shepard presents governors with state flags that were carried to the Moon on the Apollo 14 mission. Governors also discuss state and federal court rulings to the effect that the use of property taxes as the primary source of school financing was discriminatory. General Revenue Sharing begins, providing a portion of federal taxes to state and local governments Supreme Court decision in Furman v. Georgia suspends state capital punishment laws then in effect. Mark Spitz wins a record-setting seven gold medals for swimming in the Summer Olympics, where Black September terrorists kill eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team. The pocket calculator is introduced. Congress sends the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification. The Watergate scandal is triggered by the discovery that a break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters was the work of operatives hired by officials of Richard Nixon's presidential reelection committee. Richard Nixon becomes the first President to visit the People's Republic of China. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces a ban on most uses of the synthetic pesticide DDT. The Coastal Zone Management Act provides grants to states that develop and implement federally-approved coastal zone management plans. Title IX of the 1972 Education Act Amendments prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs, paving the way for greater athletic opportunities for young women. An act of Congress creates the Consumer Product Safety Commission, whose mission is to protect against unreasonable risk of injuries associated with consumer products. An act of Congress creates the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, & Children (WIC), which begins as a pilot program. Alabama Governor George Wallace is shot and partially paralyzed while campaigning for the presidency in Maryland. The Iowa Caucuses become recognized as the first step in the presidential nominating process.
1973		1973 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 27-March 1) 1973 Annual Meeting: Lake Tahoe, NV (June 3-6) Chair: Marvin Mandel, MD Governors discuss the energy crisis as well as revenue sharing proposals pending in Congress. Governors adopt a resolution supporting federal assumption of welfare payments to the aged, blind, and disabled. Members of OPEC begin an oil embargo against the U.S. and other western nations in the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War between Israel and Arab states. U.S. involvement in Vietnam ends. The World Trade Center's Twin Towers are dedicated. The Sears Tower in Chicago becomes the tallest building in the United States. In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court rules that a woman's right to privacy precludes prohibition of abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. The Federal Aid to Highway Act allows Highway Trust Fund revenue to be used selectively for mass transit purposes. As a fuel conservation and safety measure, the federal government orders states to reduce the interstate speed limit to 55 miles per hour. President Richard Nixon signs legislation authorizing construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The federal Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) increases the size of the public jobs program begun through the Emergency Employment Act of 1971. Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns and pleads no contest to income tax evasion in exchange for the dismissal of criminal charges that he had taken kickbacks while governor of Maryland. Massachusetts Governor Francis Sargent vetoes legislation providing for silent prayer in schools.
1974		1974 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (March 6-7) At their Winter Meeting: Governors discuss the economic impact of the energy crisis resulting from OPEC's oil embargo; Responsibilities are assigned to an Executive Director; a Center for Policy Research and Analysis is established; and policy positions are considered for the first time at a Winter Meeting. 1974 Annual Meeting: Seattle, WA (June 2-5) Chair: Daniel Evans, WA Governors discuss government reform in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal. James Longley of Maine becomes the first popularly-elected Independent governor in the United States. The Supplemental Security Income program is established to provide aid to the needy elderly, blind, and disabled. The federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of 1974 provides funding to states on the condition that youth are removed from secure detention and correctional facilities and separated from convicted adults. Baseball great Hank Aaron beats Babe Ruth's home run record. The Community Development Block Grant program begins, providing federal funding to state and local governments to meet community development needs. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts states from regulating what employers must offer to employees as health benefits, but reserves states' authority to regulate the sale of health insurance products within their borders. Congress passes the Freedom of Information Act, increasing public access to government files. An act of Congress creates the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to record and monitor the trading of futures contracts on U.S. futures exchanges. After articles of impeachment against him are approved by the House Judiciary Committee, President Richard Nixon resigns. Gerald Ford becomes President, and former New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller is confirmed as Vice President. Massachusetts Governor Francis Sargent makes a televised address announcing the proposal of an alternative to the Racial Imbalance legislation in effect in the state since 1965 that has led to strong anti-busing sentiment. A federal judge orders extensive school busing in Boston one month later.
1975		1975 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 18-20) 1975 Annual Meeting: New Orleans, LA (June 8-11) Chair: Calvin Rampton, UT At their Annual Meeting, governors hold indepth discussion of state-local relations. They consider but do not adopt a motion to support a federal expenditure of $100 million for research on, and development of, domestic oil and shale gas, as well as a motion to support an amendment to pending federal legislation that would permit states-by enacting their own gas tax-to preempt a portion of federal gas tax increases. Association disaffiliates from the Council of State Governments. First female governor elected in her own right-Ella Grasso of Connecticut -takes office. South Vietnam falls to North Vietnam. Former Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa disappears. Tennis great Arthur Ashe becomes the first black to win at Wimbledon. Microsoft is founded. The late-night comedy show "Saturday Night Live" premieres on NBC. Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is enacted, providing families of the working poor with a refundable income tax credit. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides guidance to states and to local school districts in the provision of education and special services to children with disabilities. Texas becomes the last state to establish a public utilities regulatory commission.
1976		1976 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 22-24) 1976 Annual Meeting: Hershey, PA (July 4-6) Chair: Robert Ray, IA The association finalizes a program of "Awards for Distinguished Service to State Government." As part of the nation's Bicentennial celebration, a co-host of NBC's Today program presents governors with tapes of shows aired from each state. Governors discuss an association task force's report on welfare reform and talk about the feasibility and advisability of adding work requirements and establishing a minimum national payment standard. Governors endorse welfare reform to include the elimination of work disincentives and the establishment of a national minimum payment level providing for regional differences. Supreme Court decision in Gregg v. Georgia leads to resumption of the use of capital punishment, which had been suspended in 1972. Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act sets hazardous waste disposal standards for states to follow. Orlando Letelier, former Ambassador to the U.S. under now-deposed Chilean President Salvador Allende, and a colleague, are killed by a car bomb while driving to work at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC. The U.S. celebrates its bicentennial. The name "Legionnaire's Disease" is given to a form of bacterial pneumonia that afflicts participants at an American Legion convention in Philadelphia, caused by contaminated water used in the air conditioning system in their hotel. The Apple Corporation is formed. In the Winter Olympics, Dorothy Hamill wins the gold medal for figure skating, and in the Summer Olympics, Bruce Jenner wins the Olympic Decathlon, while three future professional boxers-Sugar Ray Leonard, and brothers Leon and Michael Spinks, are medal winners. Fear of a possible epidemic of the Swine Flu leads to more than one million vaccinations over a period of ten days, but the discovery that the vaccine has caused Guillain-Barre syndrome puts a halt to the mass vaccination campaign. The expected completion date of the interstate highway system is pushed back to 1990. The Coalition of Northeastern Governors is created.
1977		1977 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 28-March 1) At their Winter Meeting, Governors adopt a policy position seeking overhaul of Medicaid administration, including punishment for fraud, abuse, and overuse, greater flexibility for states, and more efficient federal administration. They also discuss energy shortages. Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter is inaugurated President. Organization's name is changed to "National Governors' Association" (NGA). 1977 Annual Meeting: Detroit, MI (September 7-9) Chair: Reubin Askew, FL The Annual Meeting includes discussion of President Jimmy Carter's proposals for welfare reform, which included consolidating Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Food Stamps, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in a single cash-assistance structure; expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); and empowering states to operate programs to help people find both private- and public-sector jobs. Elvis Presley dies. ABC airs a mini-series version of Alex Haley's Roots, the fictional saga of a slave family and their descendants. President Jimmy Carter proposes welfare reform via the Program for Better Jobs and Income, which would create more than one million public service jobs coupled with a universal negative income tax with one income guarantee for those not expected to work. The federal Clean Water Act establishes a system for regulating the discharge of pollutants into U.S. waters. The U.S. Department of Energy joins the federal cabinet, combing federal energy-related agencies into one Department. Former Idaho Governor Cecil Andrus becomes Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior . In the past two decades, the number of states levying both general income and sales taxes has doubled, bringing the total to thirty-eight. North Dakota become the first state to finish its assigned mileage in the Federal Controlled Access Highway System. New Hampshire stakes a claim on holding the first presidential primary elections in the nation.
1978		1978 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 26-28) At the Winter Meeting, governors press NAACP President Benjamin Hooks regarding the Supreme Court's pending decision on affirmative action in education (Bakke v. UC Davis). [The court ultimately ruled in a split decision that although admission quotas could not be used, race could be considered as a factor in achieving a diverse student body.] 1978 Annual Meeting: Boston, MA (August 27-29) Chair: William Milliken, MI At their Annual Meeting, Governors debate whether to continue supporting the goal of a balanced federal budget. Association membership is approved for the Northern Mariana Islands. In Jonestown, Guyana, nearly 1,000 members of the People's Temple cult commit suicide after U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and members of fact-finding team-in Jonestown investigating the welfare of cult members on behalf of their relatives in the U.S.-are murdered under orders from cult leader Jim Jones. President Jimmy Carter facilitates peace negotiations between Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin. The Supreme Court rules in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke that affirmative action in education is constitutional under specific conditions. President Jimmy Carter declares a federal emergency at Love Canal, a neighborhood of Niagara Falls, NY, resulting in the relocation of residents, pursuant to the discovery that chemical waste buried under the neighborhood by Hooker Chemical Company has become a serious health hazard. Western governors form the Western Governors' Policy Office (WESTPO) to deal with the "fast track" development of coal, synfuel and other energy projects and the intergovernmental aspects of the proposed deployment of the MX missile along the Utah-Nevada border. California's Proposition 13, a tax limit initiative, ushers in a new era of direct democracy.
1979		1979 Winter Meeting: Washington, DC (February 25-27) At the Winter Meeting, governors discuss the recent establishment of the association's Committee on International Trade and Foreign Relations, partly in response to increasing demand for state involvement in the promotion of U.S. exports. 1979 Annual Meeting: Louisville, KY (July 8-10) Chair: Julian Carroll, KY President Jimmy Carter cancels scheduled speech at the Annual Meeting to preside over a summit on the ongoing energy crisis. Governors discuss the President's two-pronged strategy for dealing with rising oil prices, including: (1) addressing shortages by pressing for increased production internationally and expediting construction of the Alaska/Canada pipeline; and (2) developing alternative sources of energy. To pay for the research and technology needed to fulfill the second strategy, the Administration proposed a windfall profits tax and a phased deregulation of oil prices. Governors adopt resolutions recommending deregulation of domestic oil prices and urging extension of the federal Revenue Sharing program. The U.S. and China establish formal diplomatic relations. The federal government guarantees a $1.5 billion loan to the Chrysler Corporation, and Lee Iacocca becomes the company's CEO. The Sony Walkman goes on sale in Japan. U.S. Steel closes 13 plants, laying off 13,000 workers. Director Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now presents a disturbing perspective on the Vietnam War. Iranian militants storm the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seizing 90 hostages. President Jimmy Carter holds a ten-day energy summit at Camp David, in which governors participate, and announces a new program to reduce American dependence on foreign oil. A partial meltdown, followed by radioactive gas leaks, takes place at Three Mile Island, a nuclear generating station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At the request of the National Governors Association, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is created to centralize federal emergency management functions. By this time, 90 percent of states already had a single agency with lead responsibility for emergency preparedness and response activities. In what is known as the "Sagebrush Rebellion," the legislatures of five western states enact legislation calling for state control of lands managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management. Neil Goldschmidt, who will become Governor of Oregon, is appointed Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.