George Lackman "Doc" Gunther was an American politician.
12 Facts About George Gunther
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George Gunther was the longest-serving state legislator in Connecticut history.
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Senator Gunther represented the 21st Connecticut Senate District, comprising all of Shelton, most of Stratford, and parts of Monroe and Seymour, Connecticut, from 1966 to 2006.
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When George Gunther retired in 2006, he was replaced by his protege and former campaign manager, Dan Debicella from Shelton.
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George Gunther first served on the Stratford Board of Education for four years, followed by five years on the Stratford Town Council, before being elected to the state Senate.
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George Gunther was instrumental in Connecticut state government reform activities, including sponsoring formation of the state Property Review Committee to oversee state contracts.
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George Gunther served for almost 20 years on the National Council of State Legislatures, and for more than 15 years on the board of directors of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
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George Gunther had one of the longest and strongest reputations for environmentalism in the Connecticut legislature, stemming back to when the movement was known as conservation.
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George Gunther has been recognized many times by environmentalist and conservation groups for his opposition to pollution and his work to preserve the environment for hunters, fishermen, and the shell fishing industry.
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George Gunther served for nearly thirty years on the federal Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, and in 1990 helped form the Housatonic River Estuary Commission to develop the recreational and commercial resources of the lower Housatonic River.
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George Gunther spearheaded opposition to construction of a large natural gas terminal in Long Island Sound, proposed by Broadwater Energy.
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George Gunther was instrumental in the state legislature's designation of Igor Sikorsky as a Connecticut Aviation Pioneer, and sponsored a bill supporting Gustav Whitehead's claim to having achieved controlled powered heavier-than-air flight in Bridgeport, two years before the Wright brothers' Kitty Hawk flight.