Civil Service Commission
In 1944, a Civil Service Act was passed by the Utah State Legislature; however, no funds to operate the Commission were appropriated. Therefore, Governor Maw suspended the commission. Nevertheless, Colonel Dow operated the Utah Highway Patrol according to rules of civil service for the next year. In 1945, the Utah Highway Patrol Civil Service Act passed and was funded. Colonel Dow remembers that it was the last bill passed just before midnight. The Commission regulated personnel matters such as hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, transfers, and pay scales. The Commission was made up of three members appointed by the Governor. The first Commission consisted of: Elias J. Strong, Utah Automobile Association; Joe Fitzpatrick, Walker Bank; and Al Warden, Sports Editor for The Ogden Examiner.
Commission Chairman Elias J. Strong announced that effective October 1, 1947, 48 Utah Highway Patrolmen, first class, would be known as “Troopers.” The new name applied only to those officers who had completed the one-year probationary period. Officers still in their first year of service continued to be called “Patrolmen.”
Previous designations were “Patrolmen, second class” for probationary officers and “Patrolmen, first class” for officers who had completed probation, but had not received a promotion. The Utah Highway Patrol at this time consisted of six Patrolmen, 48 Troopers, six Lieutenants, five Captains, one Inspector and one Superintendent, totaling 67 men.