Donal Neil "Mike" O'Callaghan (10 September 1929-5 March 2004) was the Democratic Governor of Nevada from 4 January 1971 to 1 January 1979, succeeding Paul Laxalt and preceding Robert List.
Biography[]
Donal Neil O'Callaghan was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1929, and he was raised on a farm in Sparta. He served in the US Marine Corps from 1946 to 1948 before serving in the US Army in the Korean War, during which he lost his left leg to a mortar round. After the war, he became a high school teacher and boxing coach in Nevada and taught history in Henderson; Harry Reid was among his students. O'Callaghan went on to serve as head of the state's Department of Health and Welfare from 1963 to 1964, and he served as Governor from 1971 to 1979 and was extremely popular. After leaving office, he edited the Las Vegas Sun until his death in 2004.