Governor Frank H. Murkowski

FRANK H. MURKOWSKI was born on March 28, 1933 and was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. He graduated from Ketchikan (Alaska) High School in 1951 and from Seattle University in 1955 with a degree in economics. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard until 1957, he joined Pacific National Bank in Seattle, attending Pacific Coast Banking School. Murkowski became the state’s youngest commissioner at the time when he was named Commissioner of Economic Development in 1966, at the age of 33. In 1971, he became president of Alaska National Bank of the North, and his family moved to Fairbanks. He also served as president of the Alaska Bankers Association and of the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce. In 1980, Murkowski was elected to the U.S. Senate where he served Alaska for 22 years. As a U.S. senator, he served on the Energy & Resources, Finance, Indian Affairs and Veterans’ Affairs committees. Murkowski was elected governor of Alaska in 2002. As governor, he focused on revitalizing the state’s economy through resource development and on strengthening the education and public safety systems. He was also a long-time leader in the fight against substance abuse.