Wally Barron

William Wallace Barron was an American Democratic politician in West Virginia. He was the state's 26th governor of West Virginia from 1961 to 1965.

Life and career

He was born in Elkins, West Virginia. He attended Washington and Lee University and the West Virginia University Law School. During World War II, he served in the United States Army. In 1949, he was elected mayor of Elkins. He became a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1950 and was re-elected in 1952. He resigned his seat when appointed as Liquor Control Commissioner by Governor William C. Marland subsequent to the 1952 election. He was nominated to Attorney General in 1956.
In 1960, he was elected governor of West Virginia and continued the clean government and civil rights reforms that had been instituted by his predecessor, Cecil H. Underwood.
He died on November 12, 2002, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Corruption trial and prison

On August 30, 1968, Barron was acquitted of federal charges concerning alleged money kickbacks and rigged state contract schemes in which he and several of his associates were involved. It was later realized that Barron and his wife, Opal Barron, had bribed the jury foreman. Barron was indicted, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, albeit this was reduced to 12 years. He served four years of his sentence.