Governor McKernan at a news conference (Maine State Archives)
(1948- ) a U.S. Representative, was born in Bangor on May 20, 1948. He attended public schools of Bangor, earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1970, and his J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law in 1974.
John Rettie McKernan, Jr. served in the Maine Army National Guard, 1970-1973, and was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1972, 1974 and 1976. He was admitted to the Maine bar in 1974 and began practice in Bangor and Portland. McKernan was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1976 and 1984.
Elected as a Republican to the Ninety-eighth and to the Ninety-ninth Congresses (January 3, 1983-January 3, 1987), he was not a candidate for reelection in 1986, but was elected Governor of Maine. He was reelected in 1990. (Read Governor McKernan’s first and second inaugural addresses.)
In 1989, “Jock” McKernan married then-Congresswoman Olympia J. Snowe. He subsequently became chief executive officer, and later chairman of the board, of the Pittsburgh-based Education Management Corp., which then operated 105 schools in 32 states and Canada. He has also been a director of BorgWarner Inc., a publicly traded producer of engineered components and vehicle powertrain system applications.
Additional resources
The McKernan years 1987-1995. Editors, Sharon Miller, Dave Lackey, Andrea Murphy. McDonald/O’Meara Communications. 1996?
Press releases of the Maine Office of the Governor. Maine State Archives, Augusta, ME. Governors press releases explaining actions and positions on current issues and initiatives. The records are from the administrations of Kenneth M. Curtis (1967-1975), Joseph E. Brennan (1979-1987), John R. McKernan (1987-1995), and Angus S. King , Jr.(1995-2003). Public statements on current issues released to the media by the Governor’s Press Secretary. No legal restrictions on access. Maine State Archives continues to receive materials for this collection.