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==Coon and Nixon==

==Coon and Nixon==

The gubernatorial race was overshadowed by the , which caused the defeat of many Republicans nationwide who had no connection to the stunning developments. Coon made a bold proposal: should "for the good of the country... temporarily turn over his duties" to then Vice President . Coon suggested that Nixon request an immediate trial on (then pending in the before the , but he said that Nixon should not resign because the public needed the "absolute truth". Therefore, he maintained that a trial should be staged in the Senate once the House voted articles of impeachment. [http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/clinton/clinton080674.html]  

The gubernatorial race was overshadowed by the [[Watergate]] affair, which caused the defeat of many Republicans nationwide who had no connection to the stunning developments coming from [[Washington, D.C.]] Coon made a bold proposal: [[U.S. President]] [[Richard Nixon]] "should for the good of the country... temporarily turn over his duties" to then Vice President, [[Gerald Ford]] . Coon suggested that Nixon request an immediate trial on (then pending in the before the , but he said that Nixon should not resign because the public needed the "absolute truth". Therefore, he maintained that a trial should be staged in the [[U.S. Senate]] once the [[United States House of Representatives]] voted articles of [[impeachment]].<ref>[http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/clinton/clinton080674.html] </ref> Coon said in a press release:

"With the President's own admission that he lied to the American people about previous Watergate statements, that he kept pertinent information from the House Judiciary Committee, the courts, as well as his own lawyer, and his admission that, it is a foregone conclusion that the House will impeach him, it might seem to some that he should resign.... However, we must remain calm and not overreact. Our system of government provides that a man, even the President is innocent until proven guilty," Coon said in a press release.

With the President's own admission that he lied to the American people about previous Watergate statements, that he kept pertinent information from the House Judiciary Committee, the courts, as well as his own lawyer, and his admission that, it is a foregone conclusion that the House will impeach him, it might seem to some that he should resign.... However, we must remain calm and not overreact. Our system of government provides that a man, even the President is innocent until proven guilty.</blockquote>

Coon said that if Nixon resigned because of adverse poll ratings, the precedent would cause "irreparable damage" to the United States because "future presidents, if they made an unpopular decision, might also capitulate, leaving government solely in the hands of Congress." Coon's remarks came three days before Nixon resigned the presidency.

Coon said that if Nixon resigned because of adverse poll ratings, the precedent would cause "irreparable damage" to the United States because "future presidents, if they made an unpopular decision, might also capitulate, leaving government solely in the hands of Congress." Coon's remarks came three days before Nixon resigned the presidency.

Challenging David Pryor, 1974

 

Coon's gubernatorial opponent was former , originally from Camden, the seat of Ouachita County in southern Arkansas. Two years earlier, Pryor had lost the Democratic senatorial primary to the more conservative incumbent , also of Camden. Pryor emerged as a powerful candidate for governor after he defeated both Bob Riley and former Governor in the Democratic primary. [http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=118] Pryor repeatedly refused to debate Coon. ["Arkansas Gazette", November 2, 1974]

==Challenging David Pryor, 1974==

While he ran for governor, Coon was enrolled in a Master of Arts program in career counseling at the in Conway. He recalled that his wife often sat in on the classes with a tape recorder while he was campaigning.

Coon's gubernatorial opponent was former [[U.S. Representative]] David Hampton Pryor, originally from Camden in Ouachita County in southern Arkansas. Two years earlier, Pryor had lost the Democratic senatorial primary to the more [[conservative]] incumbent, [[John McClellan]], also of Camden. Pryor emerged as a powerful candidate for governor after he defeated both Bob Riley and former Governor [[Orval E. Faubus]] in the Democratic primary.<ref>http://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=118]</ref> Pryor repeatedly refused to debate Coon.<ref>''Arkansas Gazette'' November 2, 1974.</ref>

Coon's campaign strategist was former state party chairman , an from Searcy in Conway County. Pollard called upon nursing home owners to support Coon because of Pryor's earlier congressional actions to increase federal regulations on the facilities. "He [Pryor] demeaned the nursing homes just so he could get national publicity," alleged Pollard, who became Republican national committeeman upon the death of Winthrop Rockefeller in 1973. ["Arkansas Gazette", November 1, 1974]

 

Coon filed a complaint with the Fair Campaign Practices Committee in , that Pryor was "smearing" him. Pryor earlier had said that he might filed charges against Coon after Coon alleged that Pryor had received funds from Associated Milk Producers, Inc., which had also made an infamous illegal donation to U.S. Representative of Arkansas' Second Congressional District. ["Arkansas Gazette", November 3, 1974]

While running for governor, Coon was enrolled in a [[Master of Arts]] program in career counseling at the in Conway. He recalled that his wife often sat in on the classes with a tape recorder while he was away campaigning.

Coon proposed a one-year on construction of the proposed state office complex at the capitol grounds in Little Rock because of spiraling costs. ["Arkansas Gazette", November 2, 1974]

 

Arkansas voters chose Pryor for governor in an overwhelming vote in the Watergate year: 358,018 (65.6 percent) to Coon's 187,872 (34.4 percent). Coon won two of the three counties that he had carried for lieutenant governor in 1972: Sebastian and Searcy, and he polled at least 40 percent in twelve other counties. His defeat was nearly as bad numerically as had been Bumpers' margin over Rockefeller four years earlier. Coon's running mate for lieutenant governor, of Rose Bud in White County north of Little Rock, was handily defeated by the Democrat former of Benton, the seat of Saline County. [Arkansas Election Statistics (Little Rock: Secretary of State), 1974]

Coon's campaign strategist was former state party chairman [[Odell Pollard]], an attorney from Searcy in White County. Pollard called upon nursing home owners to support Coon because of Pryor's earlier congressional actions to increase federal regulations on the facilities. "He [Pryor] demeaned the nursing homes just so he could get national publicity," alleged Pollard, who became Republican national committeeman upon the death of Winthrop Rockefeller in 1973.<ref>''Arkansas Gazette,'' November 1, 1974.</ref>

Educational counseling

Coon filed a complaint with the Fair Campaign Practices Committee in Washington, D.C., that Pryor was "smearing" him. Pryor earlier had said that he might filed charges against Coon after Coon alleged that Pryor had received funds from Associated Milk Producers, Inc., which had also made an infamous illegal donation to U.S. Representative [[Wilbur Mills]] of Arkansas' 2nd congressional district.<ref>{{cite web|url=''Arkansas Gazette,'' November 3, 1974.</ref>

Coon left the GOP executive director's position in the fall of 1975 to begin work on his in counselor education at the at Fayetteville. He completed the program in 1979 and worked for two years for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas. He was licensed as a counselor in 1980. [http://www.lifeguidecenter.com/whoweare/]  

Coon established his counseling and motivational speaking bureau, the Life Guide Center of Human Resource Development and Career Counseling. [http://www.lifeguidecenter.com/] He was licensed as a psychologist in 1985. He is also an adjunct professor of human resources development for the Little Rock campus of of St. Louis. [http://www.webster.edu/iw/iw/011127/webmain.html#know]  

Coon proposed a one-year moratorium on construction of the state office complex at the Capitol grounds in Little Rock because of spiraling costs.<ref>''Arkansas Gazette,'' November 2, 1974.</ref>

Coon, a former  

Later political activities

Arkansas voters chose Pryor for governor in an overwhelming vote in the Watergate year: 358,018 (65.6 percent) to Coon's 187,872 (34.4 percent). Coon won two of the three counties that he had carried for lieutenant governor in 1972: Sebastian and Searcy, and he polled at least 40 percent in twelve other counties. His defeat was nearly as bad numerically as had been Bumpers' margin over Rockefeller four years earlier. Coon's running mate for lieutenant governor, [[Leona Troxell]], of Rose Bud in White County north of Little Rock, was handily defeated by the Democrat, former state attorney general Joe Purcell, former of Benton in Saline County south of Little Rock.<ref>Arkansas Election Statistics (Little Rock: Secretary of State), 1974.</ref>

 

==Educational counseling==

Coon left the GOP executive director's position in the fall of 1975 to begin work on his [[Ph.D.]] (then Ed.D) in counselor education at the at the [[University of Arkansas]] at Fayetteville. He completed the program in 1979 and worked for two years for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arkansas. He was licensed as a counselor in 1980. <ref>[http://www.lifeguidecenter.com/whoweare/].</ref>

Coon established his counseling and motivational speaking bureau, the Life Guide Center of Human Resource Development and Career Counseling.<ref>[http://www.lifeguidecenter.com/].</ref> He was licensed as a psychologist in 1985. He is also an adjunct professor of human resources development for the Little Rock campus of Webster University in [[Saint Louis]], [[Missouri]].<ref>[http://www.webster.edu/iw/iw/011127/webmain.html#know].</ref>

 

Coon, a former [[Methodist]] is a member of the [[Church of Christ]].

 

==Later political activities==

In 1976, Coon favored the nomination of former Governor as the GOP standard-bearer, rather than the unelected incumbent President Ford, the choice of most of the Arkansas Rockefeller Republicans. The Arkansas delegation to the national convention in Kansas City was led by the 1974 (and later 1984 as well) congressional candidate Judy C. Petty, the former Winthrop Rockefeller staffer pledged to Reagan in 1976. Petty claimed that the old Rockefeller coalition in Arkansas could not be revived because of the strength of Bumpers and Pryor. She therefore proposed a conservative coalition of Republicans and dissident Democrats, many of whom had been backers of . [ "Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report", August 14, 1976, pp. 2187-2188] In the general election in Arkansas, Ford barely polled a third of the ballots against the Democrat . ["Arkansas Election Statistics, 1976] Coon similarly supported Reagan in 1980 and 1984.

In 1976, Coon favored the nomination of former Governor as the GOP standard-bearer, rather than the unelected incumbent President Ford, the choice of most of the Arkansas Rockefeller Republicans. The Arkansas delegation to the national convention in Kansas City was led by the 1974 (and later 1984 as well) congressional candidate Judy C. Petty, the former Winthrop Rockefeller staffer pledged to Reagan in 1976. Petty claimed that the old Rockefeller coalition in Arkansas could not be revived because of the strength of Bumpers and Pryor. She therefore proposed a conservative coalition of Republicans and dissident Democrats, many of whom had been backers of . [ "Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report", August 14, 1976, pp. 2187-2188] In the general election in Arkansas, Ford barely polled a third of the ballots against the Democrat . ["Arkansas Election Statistics, 1976] Coon similarly supported Reagan in 1980 and 1984.

Coon resurfaced politically in 1981, not as a candidate, but as the appointee of newly-elected Republican Governor to head the Arkansas Employment Security Division in Little Rock. He served until White was unseated after a single term in 1982 by . Mrs. Troxell, his former ticket-mate, had held the same position for a time in the Rockefeller administration. ["Arkansas Outlook", December 1980]  

Coon resurfaced politically in 1981, not as a candidate, but as the appointee of newly-elected Republican Governor to head the Arkansas Employment Security Division in Little Rock. He served until White was unseated after a single term in 1982 by . Mrs. Troxell, his former ticket-mate, had held the same position for a time in the Rockefeller administration. ["Arkansas Outlook", December 1980]