Former Nevada politician Paul Laxalt honored on 90th birthday

Peter Southwick / AP

Sen. Paul Laxalt, R-Nev., faces the Republican National Convention, Wednesday, August 22, 1984, in Dallas to place into nomination the name of Ronald Reagan for a second term as President of the United States.

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012 | 10:57 a.m.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval has issued a proclamation to honor former Gov. and U.S Sen. Paul Laxalt on his 90th birthday today.

Laxalt, who has a consulting firm in Washington, D.C., and lives in McLean, Va., “will be hanging out and watching some Olympics,” said his daughter Kathleen. Her father, she said, will be fielding birthday wishes but is not much for celebrations.

Laxalt served as district attorney in Carson City before he was elected lieutenant governor in 1962, governor in 1966 and U.S. senator in 1974. A Republican, he served until 1987.

Laxalt was born Aug. 2, 1922, in Reno.

The proclamation lists some of his accomplishments, including starting the state’s first community colleges and medical school, all with the help of the Howard Hughes.

Laxalt was instrumental in permitting corporations to own casinos, improving the state’s parks system and named Willie Wynn as director of the state Office of Economic Opportunity, the first African American to serve in a governor’s cabinet.

During his term as governor, he became friends with Ronald Reagan, who at that time was governor of California. While in the Senate, he worked with Reagan as president on a number of issues.

Sandoval was an intern in Laxalt’s Senate office.

The proclamation said Laxalt helped prevent the MX missile system from coming to Nevada and pass legislation to cut spending for a proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

While governor, Laxalt and Reagan worked on issues to preserve Lake Tahoe. Laxalt still has a cabin in the mountains at Marlette Lake, near Lake Tahoe.