On Dec. 1, 1986, Steve Cowper was sworn in as the sixth governor of Alaska. Cowper entered office at a time of financial instability for Alaskans, yet despite the problems waiting for him, the swearing-in ceremony was free of any difficulty.
In past years, something usually complicated the swearing-ins, such as when first Alaska Gov. Bill Egan became ill hours before taking office and minutes after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower decreed Alaska’s statehood with the Alaska Statehood Act. At former Gov. Walter Hickel’s ceremony, the lights blew out minutes before the ceremony’s scheduled start, and Jay Hammond’s ceremony was belated because of the bad weather that prevented Lt. Gov. Terry Miller from arriving in Juneau on time. Cowper had no problems preventing his swearing-in, and hundreds of people attended the ceremony in the State Office Building.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire freelancer Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives.
