He liked to make things happen. And he did. If not quite a legend in the 1960s, he was already a leading force in Alaska well before the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay. He was among the leaders in taking Alaska from territory to state and his personal story was interwoven with Alaska's modern history.
That's only natural, for he made much of Alaska's modern history.
Not bad for a boy who came north with 37 cents.
In other sections of the Daily News online today you can read about how he started with that 37 cents, how far he went and how he often took Alaska with him. He was a fighter and a dreamer and fearless in both. That's how he made many of his dreams real.
That fearlessness was evident in his work. His landmark Anchorage building, the Hotel Captain Cook, was a work in progress before Alaskans had stopped trembling from the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. He challenged the oil companies and challenged his fellow Alaskans to shake off the colonial mentality and stand up for their state and their futures. He went to work for President Richard Nixon, soon stood up to him and was shown the door.
He boxed as a welterweight; he lived as a heavyweight.
To read the complete editorial, visit www.adn.com.