George Laird Shoup (born June 24, 1836 in Kittanning, Pennsylvania - died December 21, 1904 in Boise, Idaho) was the first Governor of Idaho, serving a short time after statehood in 1890 before becoming one of the state's first United States Senators. After being devasated financially in the panic of 1857, Shoup moved to Colorado Territory in 1859 to engage in mining and merchandising near Pike's Peak. During the Civil War he enlisted with the independent scouts working in New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas. He was commissioned colonel when the Third Colorado Cavalry was formed and took part in the battles of Apache Canyon and Sand Creek.
After the war Shoup moved to Virginia City, Montana Territory, and then settled in Salmon, Idaho Territory, a city that he helped found. Shoup was appointed commissioner to organize Lemhi County, and in 1874 he was elected to the territorial legislature. With few interruptions, he served on the Republican National Committee for Idaho from 1880 to 1904.
In April 1889, President Benjamin Harrison appointed Shoup governor of Idaho Territory. Shoup remained in the postion until July 1890, when Idaho became a state and Idaho Territory ceased to exist. Shoup was elected the state's first governor in October.
Shoup served as governor of the new state for only a few weeks. In November 1890 the Idaho Legislature elected him to the United States Senate. Shoup resigned as governor in December to take his Senate seat. He was succeeded as governor by Lieutenant Governor N. B. Willey.
In the Senate Shoup had many interests, including pensions, education, and military affairs. He was chairman of the Committee on Territories. In that position he advocated liberal and just treatment of the Native Americans. Shoup was reelected to a full six-year term in the Senate by the Idaho Legislature in 1894, but in 1900 he was defeated by Democrat Fred Dubois.
In 1910, the state of Idaho donated a marble statue of Shoup to the National Statuary Hall Collection.
Governors of Idaho Shoup • Willey • McConnell • Steunenberg • Hunt • Morrison • Gooding • Brady • Hawley • Haines • Alexander • Davis • Moore • Baldridge • Ross • B. Clark • Bottolfsen • C. Clark • Bottolfsen • Gossett • Williams • Robins • Jordan • Smylie • Samuelson • Andrus • Evans • Andrus • Batt • Kempthorne • Risch United States Senators from Idaho Class 2: Shoup • Dubois • Borah • Thomas • Gossett • Dworshak • Miller • Dworshak • Jordan • McClure • Craig Class 3: McConnell • Dubois • Heitfeld • Heyburn • Perky • Brady • Nugent • Gooding • Thomas • Pope • Clark • Taylor • Welker • Church • Symms • Kempthorne •
