Joseph P. Teasdale

Joseph Patrick Teasdale (born March 29, 1936) is an American politician. He served as Governor of Missouri from 1977 to 1981. He is member of the Democratic Party.

Teasdale was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated from Rockhurst High School and from Rockhurst University. Teasdale earned a law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law. From 1962 to 1966, he served as Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. From 1966 to 1972, he served as Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County, Missouri and was the youngest person to hold that post. Teasdale was defeated in the 1972 Democratic gubernatorial primary. In the 1976 election, Teasdale captured his party's nomination and, in a surprising upset, defeated incumbent Kit Bond in the general election. Four years later, he fended off a primary election challenge from then-State Treasurer Jim Spainhower, but was defeated in the 1980 general election in a rematch with Bond.

Teasdale is in the Rockhurst High School Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his standout multisport athletic career in high school. He has a wife, Theresa, and three sons, Bill, John, and Kevin. His middle son, John, was a offensive tackle at the University of Notre Dame.

Teasdale traversed the state of Missouri on foot, earning the nickname "Walkin' Joe Teasdale." It is thought that Teasdale appropriated the device from Florida Governor "Walkin' Lawton Chiles."