May 15, 1967
Is Romney Eligible for the Presidency?
George Romney, in a tight race with fellow Republican Richard Nixon, is embroiled in a new controversy. His eligibility for the presidency is being challenged New York Democrat Edward Celler, who chairs the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee. Celler claims that because Romney was born outside the United States, he is ineligible. While Romney is a U.S. citizen, the Constitution states that only “natural-born” citizens are eligible for the presidency. [1][2] According to Section 1 of Article Two of the Constitution, “no person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President.”
The Michigan Governor was born in a Mormon colony in Mexico in 1907. His grandparents were polygamous Mormons who fled the United States with their children due to the federal government's prosecution of polygamy. Romney’s parents, Gaskell and Anna Amelia Romney, were born in the Utah Territory and were American citizens. The Romney family returned to the U.S. during the Mexican Revolution, when George Romney was very young. [3]
Celler is not alone in questioning Romney’s eligibility. The cause has also been taken up by conservative newspaper publisher William Loeb, who has taken to calling Romney “Chihuahua George”. [4] Despite the controversy, Romney’s campaign manager, Leonard W. Hall, contends that the governor is eligible, and is confident that he will prevail if the issue goes to the courts.