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The Romney family, prominent in U.S. politics and other professions,[1] most known for its connection with George Romney (born, 1907, Colonia Dublán, Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico; died, 1995, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) 43rd governor of Michigan (1963–1969) and his son, Mitt Romney, 70th governor of Massachusetts. George Romney's father was Gaskell Romney[2][3][4][5] (born, 1871, St. George, Utah; died, 1955, Salt Lake City, Utah), and his mother was Anna Amelia Pratt.[6][7] Anna's grandfather was renowned early Mormon leader Parley Parker Pratt.[8][9][10]

Based upon the family's heritage going back to the first Mormon generation and to their modern-day prominence in business, politics, and as part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, authors Richard and Joan Ostling have written variously that the Romneys are "an LDS political dynasty"[11] and that "The Romneys are LDS royalty."[12] The family is linked by marriage to the Smith family,[6] and has a lateral relationship with the Matheson family, the Huntsman family,[13][14] and the Eyring family.[15] A branch of the Romneys reside in the Mormon colonies in Mexico.[16][17] The Romney family emigrated to the United States from Dalton-in-Furness, England in the 1840s.[18]

Further information: Pratt family and the notable relations of Anna Pratt, the wife of Gaskell Romney

Family members

Michigan Governor George W. Romney pictured here, on left, with German parliamentary secretary of state Karl Theodor Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg in 1967.

Miles Romney (1806–1877) was born in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire (now in Cumbria), on July 13, 1806. He was the son of George Romney and Sarah King and married November 16, 1830 to Elizabeth Gaskell[19] at Dalton-in-Furness. He was the father of Miles Park Romney and was a convert to the LDS Church. Romney died in St. George, Utah on May 3, 1877. He was an architect and designed the St. George Tabernacle and Brigham Young Winter Home and Office, the latter with his son, Miles Park Romney.[20]

  • George Romney (August 4, 1831-February 2, 1920) was the son of Miles and Elizabeth. He married Jane Jamieson (March 15, 1850- ) and Vilate Ellen Douglas.[21] He was a Bishop with the LDS church and played a role in the early development of the state of Utah.[21]
  • Miles Quintin Romney (1919-1998), son of Miles and Laura, was an attorney of the U.S House of Representatives and Poet. Miles Q. Romney was the son of Miles and Laura.[22]
  • Clyde Romney, the son of Miles Alonzo, married Almera Anderson.[23] He was a salesman and Almera was a school principal.[24]
  • Clyde Anderson Romney (1943-2006), the son of Clyde and Almera, was the Chief of Staff in Washington D.C. to U.S. Congressman Ron Packard of California from 1983-1986. A graduate of Stanford University, he was Bishop of the LDS Church San Dieguito Ward between 1974-1979 and Bishop of the LDS Church Carlsbad Ward. He served as LDS Church Regional Public Affairs Director for the county of San Diego and Bishop of the LDS Church Palomar Ward, Escondido South Stake from 1998-2006. Clyde was Chairman of the San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Task Force and Congressional Facilitator of the San Luis Rey settlement act. Romney was candidate for the San Diego County board of supervisors in 1986 and the Palomar College Board of Trustees in 1988. He was a Republican.[23][24]
  • G. Ott Romney (December 12, 1892-May 3, 1973) was born in Salt Lake City, the son of George Ernst and Hannah, and died in Alexandria, Virginia. He was the third head football coach at Brigham Young University, coaching for nine years from 1928-1936. His national positions included Chairman of the National Recreation Policies Committee, National Director of the Recreation Section of the Works Progress Administration or WPA, assignments with the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, and membership on U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Council on Youth Fitness. During World War II he served as Chief of Recreation and Club Unit Services to the United States Armed Forces through the Red Cross. He married Ruth Harding in 1919, and they are parents of three children - two girls and one boy.[25][26]
  • Miles Park Romney (1843-1904) was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, the son of Miles Romney and Elizabeth Gaskell. He married May 10, 1862, to Hannah Hood Hill at Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the president of the St. George Social Hall Company and the St. George Dramatic Association, and also served as a chief of police, attorney-at-law, newspaper editor, and architect.[27][3] He also married Catharine Jane Cottam.[3]
  • Helen Hackett Brown Romney (1917-2004) was the wife of Vernon Romney. She was the Vice Chairman of Utah Republican Party, and served on the State Health Board as well as the State Parks and Recreation Board. She was a Founding and Charter Member of Utah State Heritage Foundation. Her first husband Vernon C. Brown (1912-1955).[28]
  • Vernon B. Romney (b. 1924), son of Vernon C. and first cousin of George W., served two terms as Attorney General of the State of Utah from 1969 to 1976.[29][30] He was defeated in a 1976 bid for governor. He is married to Patricia (Pingree) Romney.
  • Keith Bradford Romney was the son of Vernon Romney. In 1960, the first condominium in the Continental United States was built in Salt Lake City, Utah. The legal counsel for the project, Keith B. Romney is also credited with authoring the Utah Condominium Act of 1960. Romney also played an advisory role in the creation of condominium legislation with every other legislature in the U.S. Business Week hailed Romney as the "Father of Condominiums". He soon after formed a partnership with Don W. Pihl called "Keith Romney Associates", which was widely recognized throughout the 1970's as America's preeminent condominium consulting firm. He was a largest financial supporter his brother, politician Vernon B. Romney.[31]
  • Miles Archibald Romney (November 9, 1869-November 28, 1939) was the son of Miles.[32]
  • Keith Romney (1913-2003), son of Miles, was automobile dealer and LDS Church branch president in Las Cruces, New Mexico 1941-1950. He was a member of the El Paso Stake Presidency from 1952-1962, bishop of the Las Cruces Ward 1962-65, mission president of the West Spanish American Mission in Los, Angeles, California between 1965-67, and president of the Southeast Mexican Mission, Vera Cruz, Mexico from 1967-69. He was Stake Patriarch in August, 1974 and member of Honorary Spanish Society at New Mexico State University, receiving the Master M Men award in 1972.[32]
  • Gaskell Romney (1871-1955) was born in St. George, Utah, the son of Miles Park Romney and Hannah Hood Hill. He married in 1895 to Anna Amelia Pratt in Colonia Dublán, Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico, February 20, 1895. He was the father of five sons: Maurice, Douglas, Miles Pratt Romney, George W. Romney, Lawrence and Charles. Gaskell would be a candidate for County Commissioner 1931 as a Republican. He passed away in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 7, 1955 and is buried Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in the city.[27]
  • Anna Amelia (Pratt) Romney (Salt Lake City, Utah, May 6, 1876 – Salt Lake City, Utah, February 4, 1926, bur. Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Utah)[33] was the daughter of Helaman Pratt and one of his wives, Anna Johanna Dorothy Wilcken, who had been born in Schleswig-Holstein.[34] Pratt married Gaskell Romney on February 20, 1895, in the Mormon colonies in Mexico and was the mother of George W. Romney.[34][35]
  • Lenore Romney (1909-1998) was married to George W. Romney and is the mother of Mitt Romney. She was the daughter of Harold Arundel LaFount, and was a Republican candidate for U.S. Senator from Michigan in 1970.[12]
  • Ann Romney (b. 1949) is married to Mitt Romney and from 2003 to 2007 was First Lady of Massachusetts.[12] She is the daughter of Edward Roderick Davies.
  • Miles Romney Sr. (December 18, 1872-March 31, 1943) was a Democrat and member of the State Democratic Central Committee in Montana. He was Mayor of Hamilton, Montana from 1902-1904 and served as a Montana State Senator from Ravalli County between 1906 and 1910. He was unsuccessful in three primary bids for Montana governor. Romney served as State Director of the National Recovery Act and also organized the Federal Housing Administration in Montana and the National Emergency Council, which became the U.S. Office of Government Reports. He was President of the Montana Press Association and publisher of the newspaper Hamilton Western News.[41][42]
  • Miles Romney Jr. (December 6, 1900-February 19, 1976) was a member of the Montana House of Representatives between 1966 - 1970. In 1971 he was elected as a delegate to the state Constitutional Convention and was appointed to the Montana Senate in 1973 and elected to a full term in 1974. Romney was the publisher of the newspaper Hamilton Western News.[43]

Descendants of Miles Romney

  • Melbourne Romney III (b. 1948) is an officer and shareholder in the firm Pritchett Siler & Hardy PC. He also works in the area of real estate transactions and 1031 exchanges. He is President of Romney Lumber Company in Salt Lake City and married to Karen Greene b. 1949. Son of Melbourne Romney Jr and Janice McCune Romney. Grandson of Melbourne Romney (1895–1973) and LaRue Peterson Romney. Great-grandson of Orson Douglas Romney (1860–1941) (brother of Miles Alonzo Romney) and Emma Phillips Romney. Great-great-grandson of George Romney (1831–1920) and Vilate Ellen Douglas Romney. Great-great-great-grandson of Miles Romney and Elisabeth Gaskell.[44]
  • Marshall B. Romney (b.1950) obtained a Doctorate in Philosophy in 1977 and is a professor at Marriott School of Management at the Brigham Young University. He is the author of several books. He was Mission President in the Dominican Republic for the LDS Church 1988-1991. Son of Ianthus Barlow Romney (1919–1998) and Eleanore Brown (1922–2001), grandson of Eugene Romney (1883–1946) and Ethel Ventencia Call (1886–1985), great-grandson of Miles Park Romney, and great-great grandson of Miles Romney.[45]
  • Brent Wayne Romney earned his BS and MAcc in accountancy from BYU in 1982, with an emphasis in audit. He is corporate director of internal audit at UICI, a company that offers insurance through its subsidiaries and provides selected financial services to niche consumer and institutional markets. He was recently named president of the National BYU Alumni Board. He also has served as president of the Dallas/Ft. Worth chapter of the BYU Management Society and as chair of the Dallas/Ft. Worth chapter of the BYU Alumni Association. He and his wife, Ella Ann McDaniel, have six children. Son of Ianthus Barlow Romney (1919–1998) and Eleanore Brown (1922–2001), great-grandson of Miles Park Romney, and great-great grandson of Miles Romney. Brother of Marshall B. Romney.[46][47]


  • George S. Romney (1874-Dec. 19, 1935) was President of Bannock Stake Academy 1917-1930, now Brigham Young University–Idaho and was also known as Ricks Normal College from 1917–1923 and Ricks College from 1923-2001. He was President of the Northern States Mission of LDS Church between 1930-1935. Romney's son was Marion G. Romney. Romney was uncle of George W. Romney.[48]

Kinsmen of Mitt Romney

  • L.C. Romney was the Commissioner of Salt Lake City and Democrat. He was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Utah in 1956. The baseball field that the neighborhood kids played the uniformed kids at in the movie "The Sandlot" was named L.C. Romney Baseball Park.[49]
  • John B. Romney is Vice President of The Huntsman World Senior Games.[50]
  • John P. Romney earned an MBA from Arizona State University and a BS in Business Administration from Brigham Young University. He was Managing Director of the Restructuring Advisory Services and the Capital Markets departments for Ernst & Young in Dallas, Texas from 1991-2003. From 2003-2004 he served as Senior Managing Director for Howard Frazier Barker Elliott, Inc., supervising merger and acquisition advisory services and private placements. He is now Levine Leichtman Capital Partners as a Director and member of the firm’s deal origination group since 2004.[51]
  • Jerry E. Romney, Jr. (1953–2009) Mr. Romney attended the University of Utah from 1972 to 1978. From 1980 until its sale in 1986, Mr. Romney founded and served as president of "National Inn-Formation Network" a company pioneering "video magazines" for broadcast in hotels. Mr. Romney was the founder of Teltrust, Inc. and served as its President from 1986 to 1998. Mr. Romney also founded the Utah Pay Phone Association in 1986 (serving as its President until 1994). From 1990 to 1998 he served as a director of the nationally recognized "A.P.C.C.," lobbying successfully in Washington D.C. for a fair competitive marketplace and was instrumental in having language to that effect added to the landmark "Telecom Act of 1996." Mr. Romney was President and a director of Videolocity, Inc. until 2002 and is a Managing partner for Video Renditions LLC.[52]
  • Robert E. Romney is a Senior director of Marvell Semiconductor Inc. in California since 2006 and serves on the Leadership Council at the Bren School of Information and Computer at UC-Irvine. He was founder, President, and CEO of Zenographics Inc. in California from 1979-2006. Zenographics is a privately-held, Southern California-based software and firmware development company located in the University of California, Irvine (UCI) Research Park. The company has been supplying innovative technologies to the OEM imaging and printing systems industry for over 15 years.[53]
  • Larry Romney. Larry Romney joined the Arizona Farm Bureau on April 1, 1993 and is an agent with the Old Pueblo Agency at the Safford office. Romney was a member of Town Council of Chino Valley and was a president of Chino Valley School District.[54]

Notable relations

Places and awards

See also

References

  1. ^ "THE NEW KENNEDYS: Eight American Political Dynasties Of The 21st Century", Grace Wyler. Business Insider. September 1, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  2. ^ Romney, Mitt (2004), Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games, Regnery Publishing, ISBN 978-0-89526-084-0
  3. ^ a b c Romney, Catharine Cottam; Hansen, Jennifer Moulton (ed.) (1992), Letters of Catharine Cottam Romney, plural wife, University of Illinois Press {{citation}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ Romney, Thomas Cottam (1938). Mormon Colonies in Mexico. University of Utah Press. (Reprinted in 2005, ISBN 978-0-87480-838-4). publisher's page on the book
  5. ^ Kranish, Michael; Helman (2012), The Real Romney, HarperCollins, p. 52
  6. ^ a b Lamb, Brian (March 19, 2006), Q&A with Mitt Romney, C-SPAN
  7. ^ Harris, T. George (1968), Romney's Way: A Man and an Idea, Prentice-Hall, p. 15, ...young Gaskell Romney married a Pratt girl, Anna Amelia. ... Anna Pratt Romney, George's mother, belonged to the bluestockings of the Mormon establishment."
  8. ^ Bowman, Matthew (2012), The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith, Random House, p. xix, One hundred and fifty years after the death of his ancestor, Parley Pratt's great-great-grandson Mitt Romney announced his bid for the Republican Party's nomination. ... He had served as governor of Massachusettes, and his father, George, as governor of Michigan.
  9. ^ Denton, Sally (January 29, 2012), Mitt and the White Horse Prophesy, Salon magazine, ...the youngest son of the most prominent Mormon in American politics — a seventh-generation direct descendant of one of the faith's founding 12 apostles—Mitt Romney....
  10. ^ Rich, Frank (January 29, 2012), Who in God’s Name Is Mitt Romney?, New York Magazine, Romney is...the scion of a family dynasty integral to the progress of an ­American-born faith.... {{citation}}: soft hyphen character in |quote= at position 74 (help)
  11. ^ Ostling, Richard N.; Ostling, Joan K. (1999). Mormon America: The Power and the Promise. New York: HarperOne. p. 134. ISBN 0-06-066372-3.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Ostling, Richard N.; Ostling, Joan K. (2007). Mormon America: The Power and the Promise (Revised ed.). New York: HarperOne. p. 134. ISBN 0-06-143295-4.
  13. ^ Barbaro, Michael; Parker, Ashley (January 4, 2012), On Stage, an Awkward Reminder of Personal Rifts in G.O.P., New York Times, The Romney and Huntsman families — two intertwined clans that go back to the early days of Mormonism....
  14. ^ Krasny, Ros; Nichols, Michelle (January 2, 2012), Huntsman tries to turn up heat on Romney in N. Hampshire, Reuters, 'Both Romney and Huntsman descend from Parley P. Pratt, one of the most storied early Mormon leaders,' said Joanna Brooks, a Mormon scholar.... 'Both have family and personal connections to the institutional hierarchy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And both enjoy an unusual degree of access to high-ranking church leaders,' she said.
  15. ^ Dictionary of scientific biography, vol. 17, Scribner, 1981, ISBN 978-0-684-16966-8
  16. ^ "Mitt Romney, campaigning for Latino vote in Florida, seldom mentions Mexican roots". Associated Press. January 26, 2012.
  17. ^ Gaskell Romney, Boston Globe, retrieved January 30, 2012
  18. ^ The Making of Mitt Romney [gallery image caption], Boston Globe, p. 2, retrieved January 30, 2012
  19. ^ Elizabeth Gaskell (Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire, January 8, 1809 – St. George, Utah, October 11, 1884). Also a convert to the LDS Church.
  20. ^ "A Gathering of Eagles: Conversions from the Four Quarters of the Earth", Daniel B. Gibbons. iUniverse, 2002. ISBN 0-595-21970-5, 9780595219704. p. 245-247
  21. ^ a b "Utah since statehood: historical and biographical, Volume 2", Noble Warrum. S. J. Clarke publishing company, 1919. p. 440
  22. ^ Congressional staff directory, Volume 18. Charles Bruce Brownson. Congressional Staff Directory, 1976. p. 475
  23. ^ a b Congressional Staff Directory, 1985. Charles Brownson. Congressional Quarterly Books, 1985. ISBN 0-87289-061-9, 9780872890619. p. 1023
  24. ^ a b "Supervisor Race Pits Familiar Figure Against Studious Rookie : Romney Relies on His Word, Not on His Record", Daniel Weintraub. Los Angeles Times. October 19, 1986. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  25. ^ "Ancestral File page on George Romney", Ancestry of G. Ott Romney. Family History Department, The Church of Jesus Latter Day Saints. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  26. ^ "G. Ott Romney Staff Bio", Brigham Young University. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  27. ^ a b "Polygamy Prominent in GOP Presidential Hopeful Mitt Romney's Family Tree", FOX News. February 24, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  28. ^ "Obituary: Helen Brown Romney", Deseret News. February 18, 2004. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  29. ^ "State attorneys general back reinstatement of death penalty". Telegraph Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. Associated Press. December 6, 1972. p. 28.
  30. ^ "Republicans plan strong campaign for Senate seats". Star-News. Wilmington, North Carolina. United Press International. June 22, 1975. p. 3A.
  31. ^ Housing & development reporter, Volume 15. Bureau of National Affairs (Arlington, Va.). Bureau of National Affairs, 1987. p. 663, 708
  32. ^ a b Mormon polygamous families: life in the principle. Jessie L. Embry. University of Utah Press, 1987. ISBN 0-87480-277-6, 9780874802771. p. 125, 144
  33. ^ Lander, Erik (September 14, 2008), Anna Amelia Pratt Romney, Find a Grave, Memorial # 29806490, retrieved March 14, 2012
  34. ^ a b Mahoney, Tom (1960). The Story of George Romney: Builder, Salesman, Crusader. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 52. OCLC 236830.
  35. ^ Dobner, Jennifer; Johnson, Glen (February 25, 2007). "Polygamy was prominent in Romney's family tree". Deseret News. Associated Press.
  36. ^ "A Mormon in the White House?: 10 things every American should know about Mitt Romney", Hugh Hewitt. Regnery Publishing, Mar 25, 2007. ISBN 1-59698-502-X, 9781596985025. p. 82
  37. ^ Ties to Romney ’08 Helped Fuel an Equity Firm April 30, 2012
  38. ^ a b Ronna Romney Profile, Forbes.
  39. ^ a b Phillips, Frank (July 26, 1994). "Romney to stump for former in-law His father backs rival Mich. hopeful" (fee required). The Boston Globe. p. 19.
  40. ^ a b Beiler, David (October 1994). "Abraham vs. Romney" (fee required). Campaigns and Elections.
  41. ^ "Miles Romney Sr. 1872 – 1943", University of Montana School of Journalism. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  42. ^ "Montana: a history of two centuries", Michael P. Malone, Richard B. Roeder, William L. Lang. University of Washington Press, Nov 1, 1991. ISBN 0-295-97129-0, 9780295971292. p. 256
  43. ^ "Miles Romney Jr. 1900-1976", University of Montana School of Journalism. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  44. ^ "Our People", Pritchett Siler & Hardy. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  45. ^ "2007 Annual Report", Marriott School, Brigham Young University. 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  46. ^ "New mission presidents", Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints. 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  47. ^ "Calling Plays in Dallas", BYU Magazine. Summer 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  48. ^ a b "President Marion G. Romney: A Symbol of Righteousness", Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 1972. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  49. ^ Mormons & Gentiles: a history of Salt Lake City. Thomas G. Alexander, James B. Allen. Pruett Pub. Co., 1984. ISBN 0-87108-664-6, 9780871086648. p. 258, 266
  50. ^ "Administration", Huntsman World Senior Games. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  51. ^ "John P. Romney", Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  52. ^ "People...", TMC. June 1997. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  53. ^ "Leadership Council", University of California at Irvine. Retrieved December 5, 2011
  54. ^ "Viewpoint: Opportunity! Community has different vision for school district", Chino Valley Review. March 24, 2010. Retrieved December 5, 2011

Sources

External links

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