Roy Romer

Roy Romer – Life, Career, and Notable Reflections

Roy Romer (born October 31, 1928) — American politician, three-term Governor of Colorado, education advocate, and later Superintendent of Los Angeles public schools. Explore his life, public service, and lessons from his career.

Introduction

Roy Rudolf Romer (born October 31, 1928) is an American politician chiefly known for his long tenure as Governor of Colorado (1987–1999) and his later leadership in educational administration as Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Throughout his varied public roles, Romer wove together political governance, institutional reform, and educational advocacy. His career reflects the challenges and rewards of combining political leadership with commitment to public education and civil rights.

Early Life, Family & Education

Roy Romer was born in Garden City, Kansas, on October 31, 1928. Holly, a small town in southeastern Colorado.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Colorado State University in 1950, during which time he also served as President of the Associated Students. law degree (LLB) from the University of Colorado in 1952. Yale University (Yale Divinity School) as part of his intellectual formation.

Romer also served in the U.S. Air Force as a legal officer, including during the Korean War era, where he acted in prosecutorial or legal capacities.

In his personal life, Romer married Beatrice “Bea” Miller, and they had seven children, among them Paul Romer, who went on to win the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economics, and Chris Romer, who was active in Colorado politics.

Early Political and Professional Career

Romer entered elective politics in Colorado:

• He served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1958 to 1962.

• He then served in the Colorado State Senate from 1962 to 1966.

• In 1966 he ran for U.S. Senate (challenging Senator Gordon Allott), but was unsuccessful.

Later, in 1975, Romer served as Commissioner of Agriculture in Colorado, and then as the governor’s Chief of Staff in Colorado, positioning him in executive administration before higher office.

In 1977, he was appointed Colorado State Treasurer, and served in that capacity until his election as governor in 1986 (i.e. until January 1987). He was re-elected twice, serving until January 1999.

Governorship & Major Achievements

Three Terms as Governor of Colorado

Romer became the 39th Governor of Colorado, first taking office on January 13, 1987. three consecutive terms before term limits intervened.

During his governorship, Romer faced numerous policy challenges — spanning economic growth, environmental management, state budgeting, infrastructure, and education. Among his significant involvements was his position in the Romer v. Evans Supreme Court case, which addressed Amendment 2 in Colorado that attempted to deny protected status to LGBTQ individuals. Though personally opposed to Amendment 2, Romer—by virtue of his office—defended the state in court. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately struck down Amendment 2 in 1996, ruling it unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Romer also played a role in educational initiatives, development planning, and intergovernmental cooperation. For instance, he was active in founding Western Governors University in 1997 (along with other governors) as an online, competency-based higher education institution.

From 1992 to 1993 he served as Chair of the National Governors Association.

Later Roles: National Party & Educational Leadership

In national politics, Romer became General Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from January 1997 to September 1999. Democratic Governance Council, chaired education commissions, and was active in national policy circles.

In June 2000, Romer was appointed Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), a post he held until late 2006. This role placed him at the helm of one of the largest public school systems in the U.S., focusing on educational reform, accountability, and school management.

During and after his time in that role, he also engaged in national advocacy for education, helping to lead Strong American Schools, which included the “Ed in ’08” campaign—urging presidential candidates to commit to education reform.

Legacy, Influence & Challenges

Romer’s career is interlaced with themes of education, rights, and public institution leadership.

• He is often seen as a governor who prioritized education and institutional reform, not simply political management.

• His name is permanently tied to Romer v. Evans, a landmark Supreme Court decision affirming protections under equal protection, which remains a key legal precedent in LGBTQ rights litigation.

• His tenure in the LAUSD has been both lauded and critiqued: managing bureaucracy, budgetary constraints, union dynamics, and performance metrics. Still, his willingness to take reactive, hands-on leadership in a large, urban school system stands out in the careers of former governors.

• His advocacy for access to higher education, accountability in public schools, and bridging policy and practice continues in his later commentary and institutional involvement.

Personality, Style & Public Reflections

Romer has been described as a pragmatic leader, often willing to engage directly with local constituents. A political anecdote records that during debates over airport expansion, Romer would tour local diners (“the oatmeal circuit”) and physically sit and eat oatmeal with residents to talk about issues and build trust.

He has emphasized listening over demonization in politics—believing that leaders should understand multiple perspectives rather than frame public discourse as binary.

In his public statements and interviews, he has also spoken about the centrality of education as a key to opportunity and expressed concern about rising costs and barriers to access:

“The need for a college education is even more important now than it was before, but I think that the increased costs are a very severe obstacle to access.”

“This nation has been drifting back in comparison with the rest of the world for the last 20 years in education.”

These lines reflect how Romer’s convictions in education permeated his governance and advocacy.

Lessons from Roy Romer’s Life

1. Bridging executive and institutional leadership
   Romer’s career shows that a politician can move from state governance into educational administration, applying public leadership skills to complex non-political systems.

2. Defend principles even under constraint
   His role in Romer v. Evans illustrates how public officials may face legal conflicts between personal belief, institutional duty, and constitutional law—and still navigate them with integrity.

3. Listening and presence matter
   The “oatmeal circuit” anecdote underscores that genuine, down-to-earth engagement with constituents can build legitimacy and trust beyond formal speeches.

4. Education as a lever for equity
   For Romer, improving public education wasn’t a sideline—it was central to social mobility, civic stability, and democratic promise.

5. Don’t let position limit influence
   Even after serving as governor, Romer continued contributing—through national education advocacy, public commentary, and institutional roles—showing that impact doesn’t end with formal office.

Conclusion

Roy Romer’s trajectory—from rural Colorado upbringing to three-term governor, national party leader, and education system superintendent—offers a multifaceted model of public service. His willingness to traverse policy domains, to confront difficult judicial and social challenges, and to anchor his work in a belief in education as essential to opportunity mark him as a distinct figure in American political life.

If you’d like, I can also assemble a timeline of his major initiatives or provide more quotes and speeches by Roy Romer. Would you like me to do that?