Glover a Nevada homegrown politician

He was the ninth baby born at Carson-Tahoe Hospital.

He was a valet parking attendant for Gov. Paul Laxalt.

University President Joseph Crowley shook his hand and passed him his diploma 13 years after he was elected assemblyman.

A Democrat, he won the 1972 election, despite a nationwide sweep by Republicans, with the help of his fraternity brothers.

Today, he's a keeper of history.

Alan Glover, Carson City clerk-recorder, graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1985 with a degree in public administration. By then he'd served 10 years as an assemblyman, four years as a state senator and was in his first stint as the city's clerk-recorder.

"I was elected to the Assembly my senior year," Glover said. "I was six credits short of graduating. My uncle Bill Schmidt finally talked me into finishing it. Dr. Crowley was very proud of me when I went through graduation. Of course, I'd already been working with him in the Assembly.

"I was 35 when I finally got my degree."

Glover, a native Nevadan, has spent most of his professional life as a servant of the public.

The night before his election in 1972, Glover and his fraternity brothers from Phi Delta Theta walked all of Carson City, placing door hangers at each house.

"It took us until 2 in the morning," he said. "A couple of guys got bit by dogs on the Indian colony. That was a lot of fun.

"I think that's what swung the election. The door hangers said good morning, remember to vote for Alan Glover, Assembly District 40.

Doc Homer (a chiropractor and Glover's opponent) was really conservative. And at that time there was a lot of animosity between the medical doctors."

Glover ousted three-term assemblyman John Homer in the general election.

"On election day I was really nervous. I went home at 4 p.m. and turned on the TV and saw (President Richard) Nixon won. I thought 'well, I lost.' I was the only Democrat elected in Carson."

Glover said most of the country was swept by Republicans, but in Nevada, the Democrats took charge of the Assembly.

At 23, Glover was not the youngest assemblyman ever elected. Richard Kirman, elected Nov. 8, 1898, was 21 years, nine months and 26 days old when elected.

Glover said he was talked into running for election by his mother's boss, Deputy State Treasurer Mike Mirabelli. Mike O'Callaghan also thought it was a good idea, as did Gov. Paul Laxalt.

"I was working for the highway department weight crew and it meant I didn't have to go to Las Vegas and weigh trucks that summer," Glover said. "Instead I went campaigning door to door in the heat, but it wasn't 130 degrees."

"I had a lot of things going for me," he said. "I was a hometown boy. I had the backing of O'Callaghan and Laxalt. John Ascuaga, Bill Harrah and Harry Reid supported me."

Alan's parents are John and Peggy (Harney) Glover. His mother's family is a longtime fixture in Elko and his father's family roots are in Gold Hill.

His father worked as the chief of the state's driver's license division.

Glover graduated from Carson High School in 1968. In high school he played football, sang for Al Saliman in the school's choir and ran track.

"I never missed a day (in choir)," he said. "I loved Al Saliman. He died the year we were seniors. It was pretty tough on everybody."

Glover didn't marry until May 1982. He and his wife, Harley, have one daughter, Amanda, though Glover has been stepdad to Kim and Jamie.

Today, he spends all of his time at work. He's up for re-election in 2002.

"I'm down here 24 hours a day," he joked.

"I do a lot of hunting and fishing, a lot of gardening."

His favorite spots are near Elko, Winnemucca, northern Washoe County, Ely and Eureka.