Peterson RussellWilbur

American politician and scientist, he was Governor of Delaware from 1969 to 1973. Born the eighth of nine children, he went on to a distinguished career in chemistry. With his Ph.D. in chemistry earned in 1942, he landed a job with Dupont Corporation. Over his 26-year career in the field, he is credited with helping to develop dacron. In 1963 he became Vice President for Research and Development at the company. After working with a citizens group, however, he entered politics, winning election to the Governors office in 1968. He served one term from January 1969 until 1973 and despite his previous affiliation with Dupont, his administration was environment-friendly. President Nixon later named him Chairman of the Council of Environmental Quality. An avid bird-watcher from early years, he was President of the National Audubon Society from 1979 to 1985. He was married twice, first to Lillian Turner from 1937 until her death in 1994. They had four children together. He was married to June Jenkins from 1995 until his death. He suffered a stroke and died a few hours later on February 21, 2011 in Centreville, DE. Link to Wikipedia biography Read less