Mike O'Callaghan Professional Papers (MS-01055)

Donal Neil "Mike" O'Callaghan served as the 23rd Governor of Nevada from 1971 to 1979. O'Callaghan was born September 10, 1929 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He joined the United States Marine Corps at age 16 and was discharged as a sergeant in 1948. When he returned home, he graduated from high school in Winona, Minnesota. After working as an ironworker and serving in the Marine Corps reserve from 1948 to 1950, O'Callaghan joined the Air Force as an intelligence operator and was assigned to the Aleutian Islands. In 1952, he joined the Army infantry during the Korean War. During his time in the Army he was injured in combat and, as a result, had his left leg amputated. His military honors include a Purple Heart, Bronze Star with Valor medal, and Silver Star medal.

After his years of military service ended, O'Callaghan attended the University of Idaho and Colorado State at Greeley and received his bachelor's and master's degree in education. In 1956, he began working as a teacher and boxing coach at Basic High School in Henderson, Nevada. O'Callaghan began his political career when he was appointed by then-Governor Grant Sawyer to head Nevada's newly formed Department of Health and Welfare from 1963 to 1964. He worked as Program Management Director for the Job Corps Conservation Centers from 1964 to 1966, and then as Regional Director for the Office of Emergency Preparedness from 1967 to 1969.

In 1966, O'Callaghan ran in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor but lost. In 1970, he received the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and won in the general election over his Republican opponent, Edward Fike, by a narrow margin. He was re-elected in 1974 by a four-to-one margin. O'Callaghan was the last Nevada governor before term limits and was eligible for an elected third term, but chose not to run again in 1978.

After he left office, O'Callaghan became the executive editor of the Las Vegas Sun. In 1981, O'Callaghan bought the Henderson Home News and its sister paper, the Boulder City News. In over two decades, O'Callaghan held a number of positions in the newspaper business, from columnist to executive editor and chairman of the board.

Donal Neil "Mike" O'Callaghan passed away on March 5, 2004 at the age of 74. His legacy as a Nevada politician and philanthropist is honored in four structures that bear his name: O'Callaghan Park in Henderson (1979), Mike O'Callaghan Middle School in East Las Vegas (1992), Mike O'Callaghan Federal Hospital on Nellis Air Force Base (1996), and the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge that spans the Colorado River (2010).

Sources:

Koch, Ed. "A giant dies: Sun executive editor, former governor was 74." Las Vegas Sun, March 5, 2004. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2004/mar/05/a-giant-dies-sun-executive-editor-former-governor-/

Hopkins, A. D. "Mike O'Callaghan," Las Vegas Review-Journal. February 7, 1999. https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/mike-ocallaghan/