Ted Lewis Strickland was born in Austin, Texas on September 17, 1932 to George and Ethelmore Strickland. His sister, Georgia was born two years later.Ted attended school in Austin from 1938-1942. The family then moved to Houston where his father was stationed with the U.S. Coast Guard. When Ted’s father was discharged from the Coast Guard in 1946, he moved the family to Jackson, Mississippi where Ted attended Forest Hills high School. The family then moved to Oklahoma City where Ted attended Classen High School from 1947-1950. He played football and baseball for the school and graduated in June 1950. Ted attended Oklahoma A&M for a year where he also played baseball.
Ted enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 24, 1952. He was inducted in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and then went to Fort Knox, Kentucky for basic training. Ted attended Leadership Training in March 1953 and graduated in September. Ted was assigned as Tank Commander to Tank Driver Training, permanent Cadre. He was discharged from the Army in June 1954.
Ted married Lu Anne Peckham on June 29, 1957.
While attending Denver University in 1954, Ted was hired by Riley’s Well Service, where he was promoted to manager in 1956. He joined West Texas Well Service as manager and moved to Abilene Texas in 1959. He transferred back to Denver as Rocky Mountain manager in 1960 and promoted to Vice President of Rocky Mountain Well Log Service in 1973.
Petroleum Information purchased Rocky Mountain Well Log Service in 1977 and Ted was named general manager of the Rocky Mountain region in 1983. Ted resigned from Petroleum Information in 1989 and formed a consulting business with two clients, Petroleum Information and Gold Crown Realty. Ted did some consulting with Union Pacific Railroad and Hangars USA after completing two terms as Adams County Commissioner.
Ted’s political career began in 1962 when he was elected President of Adams County Young Republicans. Two years later, in 1964, he was elected to serve as Precinct Committeeman.
Ted was sworn in as a State Representative in January 1967. Two years later he was elected to the State Senate and was reelected in 1972. He was elected President of the Senate in 1973. Ruth k
He became Lt. Governor in 1973 when Colorado‘s Governor Love was drafted to serve in President Nixon’s cabinet. He became a candidate for Lt. Governor as the running mate for John Vanderhoof in 1974. They were defeated by Dick Lamm/George Brown.
Ted was reelected to the Senate in 1976. He served as chairman of the Joint Budget Committee 1975-77. He was the Republican candidate for Governor in 1978, but lost to Dick Lamm.
Reelected once again to the Senate in 1980, Ted was elected President of the Senate and served in this capacity until 1992. His 12 years as Senate President is longer than anyone in history and his record will not be repeated because of the term limits now in place.
In 1986, Ted was once again elected to be the Republican candidate to run for Governor. His running mate was Kathy Arnold. This time he was defeated by Roy Romer.
President Reagan appointed Ted to serve on the Advisory Council on Governmental Relations in 1987. Ted had been active in the National Conference of State Legislatures for several years and was elected President in 1988. In 1989, President George H. W. Bush reappointed him to the Advisory Council on Governmental Relations.
Ted was once again elected to the state Senate in 1988. He served as chairman of the Energy Council, based in Dallas, Texas, from 1990 to 1993. Representatives from 20 energy producing companies, as well as at least two members of the state legislature from 15 states, made up this council.
Ted served as chairman of the Foundation of State Legislatures from 1989-1990, as co-chairman of the Partnership of Parliaments U.S./West Germany in 1988 and as co-chairman of the U.S./Canadian Legislative Exchange in 1989.
On the county level, Ted served as chairman of Adams County Republicans for three terms, the first two from 1995 to 1998 and again in 2000 for two years.
After leaving the State Legislature in 1992, Ted was drafted by the party to run for Adams County Commissioner in 1996 and won the election. He was reelected to a second term in 2000. During his eight years on the Board of Commissioners, Ted served on board for the Front Range Airport Authority, Adams County Economic Development and E470 Highway Authority.
Strickland’s life will be celebrated at a public memorial service on Monday, April 2, 2012, 2 p.m., at the Adams County Regional Park, Waymire (Dome) Building, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601.
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