What is Mel Carnahan?
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2020}} [[File:MO Governors - 51 Melvin Carnahan (1993-2000) (52976484531).jpg|thumb|right|200px|Carnahan's official portrait]] '''Melvin Eugene Carnahan''' (February 11, 1934 – October 16, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the [[List of Governors of Missouri|51st]] [[Governor of Missouri]] from 1993 until his death in a plane crash in 2000. A month after his death, he was elected to the [[United States Senate]]. He was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]. ==Early life== Carnahan was born in [[Birch Tree, Missouri]] in 1934. He studied at [[George Washington University]] and at the [[University of Missouri]]. In 1948, because his father was running for congress, Carnahan was present for [[Harry S. Truman]]'s last campaign stop in [[St. Louis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whistle-Stop Campaign 6 |url=https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/exhibits/trumanproject/campex6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230080703/https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/exhibits/trumanproject/campex6 |archive-date=2016-12-30 |access-date=2023-10-19 |website=www.sos.mo.gov}}</ref> Carnahan would later say his father inspired him to be a politician.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grebing |first=Jim |date=1993-01-10 |title=Carnahan assumes his duties Monday |language=en |pages=4 |work=The Southeast Missourian |publisher= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gK4fAAAAIBAJ&dq=mel+carnahan+rolla+1985&pg=PA1&article_id=4077,898152}}</ref> Carnahan was married to [[Jean Carnahan|Jean Carpenter]] from 1954 until his death. They had four children. His daughter is [[Robin Carnahan]], former U.S. Senate candidate and [[General Services Administration|Administrator of General Services]]. His son is [[Russ Carnahan]], a former [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]]. ==Political career== [[File:Photograph of President William J. Clinton Shaking Hands with Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan - NARA - 2838891.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Carnahan with President [[Bill Clinton]]