Robert P. Casey, Deceased
Former Governor of Pennsylvania
Robert P. Casey was born on January 9, 1932 in Jackson Heights, New York
and grew up in Scranton. He attended Holy Cross (Worcester, MA)
on a basketball scholarship and earned a B.A. in English, graduating cum
laude in 1953. In 1956, he earned his law degree from George Washington
University Law School. In 1962 he was elected to the Pennsylvania
State Senate from Lackawanna County. In 1968, he was elected Auditor
General and was reelected to that office in 1972. As Auditor General
he was credited with ending corrupt practices that had plagued the office
for decades, hiring certified public accountants, investigating fraudulent
use of state money, and saving Pennsylvania taxpayers millions of dollars.
The reputation for integrity that Casey had earned caused one Philadelphia
newspaper to refer to him as "too honest a politician" for the Keystone
State.
Constitutionally limited to two terms, Casey left the auditor general's office in January 1977, returned to private law practice, and sought the governorship for a third time in 1978. It was not until his aggressive campaign in 1986, however, that he secured the primary election. In one of the closest gubernatorial elections in Commonwealth history, Casey defeated Scranton in the November general election by a 79,000- vote margin. On January 20, 1987, he became the fifth Democrat in the twentieth century to be sworn into the governor's office vowing to bring an activist government to Harrisburg. Casey won re-election in 1990 by defeating Auditor General Barbara Hafer by nearly 1.2 million votes-the largest margin that any Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate had yet secured.
During the 1980s and 1990s the Commonwealth continued its economic transition from heavy industry to service and technology. Coupled with a national recession in the early 1990s some communities experienced double-digit unemployment rates while the Commonwealth saw its largest budget deficit in the twentieth century. Casey professed that government had an obligation to sustain and protect children, families, workers, businesses, and the environment and that doing so would ensure an economically stable growth. Among other initiatives, his administration invested $3 billion to create new jobs, reduced business taxes, and implemented numerous programs for children including the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and a statewide adoption network. Investments in the Commonwealth's infrastructure included completion of the 1,600-mile interstate highway system and implementation of the PENNVEST loan and grant program to aid communities in improving public water and sewer systems. Other Casey legacies include the PENNFREE anti-drug and alcohol abuse program, the largest recycling program in the nation, reforms to control the rising cost of auto and workers' compensation insurance, expansion of health care services for women, reforms to the welfare system, and creation of the heritage park program.
Casey's "Capital for a Day" program took state government to eighteen communities across the Commonwealth. He advocated and signed an abortion control statute that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. The law earned him scorn in some corners and praise in others. An unwavering right-to-life advocate, Casey refused to endorse politicians or policies that favored a women's right to choose; a position that endeared anger among many Democrats. In addition, despite the General Assembly's approval of Casey's proposed constitutional amendment to revamp the local taxation system, voters handily rejected the measure at the polls. His administration was also criticized for securing enactment of a large tax increase to balance the state budget in 1991.
At nearly the same time as his 1990 reelection Casey was diagnosed with Appalachian familial amyloidosis, a genetic condition in which proteins invade and destroy major bodily organs. In June 1993 he underwent a very rare heart-liver transplant at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in an effort to cure the disease. He became one of the few people worldwide to survive for several years following the procedure. Casey left office in January 1995 and considered a run for the presidency in 1996 though his health became a dissuading factor. He was succeeded by Erie Congressman Tom Ridge who ran against Casey's lieutenant governor Mark Singel. Despite his public popularity, Casey was criticized by many in his own party for refusing to endorse Singel as the two disagreed on the abortion issue. Some blamed Casey for Singel's loss and the ensuing disarray of the state's Democratic Party.
The former state senator, auditor general, and governor retired to Scranton where he completed and published an autobiography, Fighting for Life, in 1996. Governor Casey died on May 30, 2000 from the long-term effects of amyloidosis. In addition to his wife Ellen he was survived by eight children: Margaret, Mary Ellen, Kathleen, Robert Jr., Christopher, Erin, Patrick, and Matthew; twenty-eight grandchildren, and his brother John.
