Author
ROB BISHOP
I was born at a greater distance from the Apocalypse than most of my readers. I was also born into a political family. My grandfather had been on the city council and a frequent state delegate. My father was elected Kaysville Mayor shortly after I was born. I cannot remember a time when he was not on the phone campaigning for others or serving as a state delegate. I thought that was how all families acted. It was not until I was in high school that I realized we were the abnormal ones.
I graduated from Davis High School (high honors) and was involved in the Teen-age Republicans. I graduated from the University of Utah in Political Science (magna cum
laude) and was involved in the College Republicans. I served on boards with the Salt Lake Young Republicans and was on the State Central Committee representing Salt Lake, and later, Box Elder counties. During college, I was a legislative intern to House leadership and helped organize a student lobby effort with the legislature.
I always told kids, to be involved in politics/government, find a place to settle down and become involved in the community.
I followed my advice. In 1974, I took my first teaching job at Box Eler High School and moved to Brigham City. That is where I met my wife in a community play (She was the princess and I the prince. Ahhh!) and raised our five kids. I am not moving. I can’t afford it. I was a school teacher. I taught high school (yep, and it included history and government).
In my first teaching job I assisted my school to organize a convention system for student-body elections. It was a marvelous learning experience that involved all students. Kids who had never displayed leadership skills shown forth in this process, but we abandoned the system for two major reasons.
First, involving all the kids required the help of the entire faculty. Many teachers were indifferent and some outright hostile. Second, though kids learned, it was emotionally trying, especially for the losers. Until I became a candidate, I didn’t appreciate the angst of one’s ego on the line in such a public manner. Elections were great spectator sports, but a lousy participatory sport.
Nevertheless, I participated. I was lucky. I received my first nomination for the part-time state legislature at age 26. I served from 1979-1994. I chaired four committees, including Rules. I was chosen as Majority Leader and then unopposed as Speaker. I
resigned one month before my term ended so my replacement could be appointed and have a leg up with seniority. The legislature was the most enjoyable political job.
Out of elective politics for eight years, I stayed involved and spent half of that time as the State Republican Party Chair (1997-2001). That was not an easy job. In the Party, I have served three times as a Precinct Chair and as a state delegate to every convention from 1970-2018 (except when on an LDS mission in 1972) and again in 2022. My Congressman, Jim Hansen, retired in 2002, and I successfully ran to replace him. I spent the next 18 years in Washington (2003-2021). I learned one can seek the spotlight, but peers don’t listen to the show horses, but assist the work horses to be successful. The greatest satisfaction was when I was told I couldn’t do something, and through hard work, did it anyway. With help from staff and friends, we quietly did a lot.
My political life had two characteristics. First, I followed Jim Hansen everywhere. He represented my family district in Davis County in the legislature. He was Speaker in 1979. I was Speaker in 1993. By then, I lived in Brigham City. He was elected to Congress in 1981.
I was elected in 2003. He was on the Armed Service Committee, chaired the Western Caucus and retired as chair of the Resource Committee. I was on the Armed Service Committee, chaired the Western Caucus and retired as chair of the Resource Committee. He served 22 years in Congress, the longest of any Utahn. I served 18 years, the second longest of any Utahn.
That starts the other characteristic. I am always second. I was the second youngest to be elected a Utah legislator, the second from Box Elder County to be Speaker of the House, the second youngest to be Utah Speaker, the second longest serving
Congressman from Utah, the second Utahn to be appointed to the House Rules Committee–appointed in my second term (the other was in her first), the second Utahn to be chosen a Congressional Committee Chair in modern times, the second Utahn to be Public Lands Sub-committee chair, the second Utahn to be Resource Committee Chair. One could get a complex.
I believed in term limits, but wanted it to be logical. Knowing in 2010 that I was on a trajectory to be a committee chair, I realized my chairmanship tenure would be completed by 2021. So, I announced in 2010 that 2018 would be my last election. No one remembered. Though some encouraged me to stay in Congress longer, I thought it important to keep my word, and retired. No one cared. So much for term limits.
Though in Congress, I still thought of myself as a teacher and kept involved. Every year we hosted a forum at the state Capitol for advanced classes from schools in my district. It was a chance to provide guest speakers to enhance the excellent curriculum of the teachers. It gave me a chance to teach a class as well. I coordinated with the Close-Up Program, to invite 20-30 kids in my district who did not have Close-up options in their schools to join me in Washington. It gave me the chance to be teacher for a week again. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the kids.
Utah State University was also kind enough to keep me involved in education. While in office, I taught two classes (one in person, one remotely from my D.C. office), and several lecture forums. After Congress, they allowed me to continue teaching a class each fall. The students were enthusiastic and enjoyable. I graded easy.
In retirement, I have come full circle. I started as a Precinct Chair and state delegate while in college. I am again a Precinct Chair and state delegate. I was just
elected Parliamentarian of the Box Elder County Republican Party. Like an old, much slower, Energizer bunny, I keep going.
