John McClaughry is an American author and politician. He served in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1969 to 1972 and the Vermont State Senate from 1989 to 1992.[1][2]

John McClaughry
McClaughry in 2015
Member of the Vermont Senate
from the Caledonia district
In office
1989–1993
Serving with Joseph M. Sherman
Preceded byGerald Morse
Succeeded byJulius D. Canns
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
from the 26th district
In office
1969–1973
Serving with Harry U. Lawrence
Preceded byW. Arthur Simpson
Succeeded byCola Hudson
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
EducationMiami University (AB)
Columbia University (MA)
University of California, Berkeley (MA)

Early life and education

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McClaughry grew up in Paris, Illinois.[3] In 1958, he earned an AB in physics and mathematics from Miami University. In 1960, he earned an MS in nuclear engineering from Columbia University. In 1963, he earned a MA in political science from University of California, Berkeley.[4] From 1962 to 1965, McClaughry spent time living as a hobo and hopped trains, traveling in boxcars about 5,000 miles across 19 states.[3]

Career

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McClaughry moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked at the moderate Republican magazine Advance.[5] In 1968, John F. Osborne in The New Republic called McClaughry "a remarkable white Republican activist" who was working "to promote black opportunity and black control of black communities."[6] He moved to Vermont permanently in 1970.[5] In 1969, McClaughry was elected to a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives. He served until 1972.[1]

McClaughry served as a senior policy advisor in Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign of 1980. Afterwards, he served in the White House Office of Policy Development until March 1982.[7] McClaughry ran for senate in the 1982 United States Senate election in Vermont. He placed third in the Republican primary.[8] In 1989, McClaughry was elected to the Vermont State Senate where he served until 1992.[1]

In 1992, he was the Republican candidate for Governor of Vermont, ultimately losing to incumbent Democrat Howard Dean.[7] McClaughry had been the Town meeting day moderator in Kirby, Vermont, since 1967.[9][10][6] In 1993, McClaughry founded the Ethan Allen Institute. He served as president from 1993 to 2009, and as acting president in 2010, then vice president to retirement in 2023.[11]

Books

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  • Expanded Ownership (Sabre Foundation, 1972)
  • with Frank M. Bryan, The Vermont Papers: Recreating Democracy on a Human Scale (Chelsea Green, 1989)
  • A Better Path - From Welfare to Work (Ethan Allen Institute, 1993)[4]
  • Promoting Civil Society Among the Heathen, Institute for Liberty and Community, 2013.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Susteren, Dirk Van (November 24, 2013). "In This State: A thing or two you might not know about John McClaughry". VTDigger.
  2. ^ Bolles, Dan. "Riding the Rails With John McClaughry: Conservative Thought Leader, Politico, Hobo". Seven Days.
  3. ^ a b "Riding the Rails With John McClaughry: Conservative Thought Leader, Politico, Hobo". Seven Days.
  4. ^ a b "McClaughry, John. CV". policyexperts.org. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Diminishing Democracy? At Kirby Town Meeting, the 18 Percent Rule". Seven Days.
  6. ^ a b "Vermont's Republican Radical". The American Conservative. February 14, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Van Susteren, Dirk (November 24, 2013). "In This State: A thing or two you might not know about John McClaughry". VTDigger.org. Vermont Journalism Trust. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  8. ^ Broder, David S. (August 27, 1982). "GOP Primary in Vermont to Provide Early Test on Powers of Incumbency". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  9. ^ "Kirby Town Meeting Moderator Discusses Importance Of Town Meeting Day". WAMC. March 7, 2017.
  10. ^ "'Exercise In Social Solidarity': On Town Meeting Day In Kirby, Vt". Vermont Public Radio. February 22, 2021.
  11. ^ "Staff and Directors". Ethan Allen Institute. Archived from the original on November 8, 2016. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
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