Stephen Everett Merrill (June 21, 1946 – September 5, 2020) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Manchester, New Hampshire.

As attorney general, Merrill strengthened child abuse laws, backed tougher environmental regulations, formed a task force to combat addiction, and lowered the age at which juveniles could be tried as adults in murder cases to 13.

[3] He returned to private practice in 1989, starting a firm with Democrat John T. Broderick Jr., whom Merrill would later appoint to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

Prior to Merrill's order, the holiday was known as Civil Rights Day due to conservatives' displeasure with King's opposition to the Vietnam War.

Merrill signed a similar proclamation each year he was governor and in 1999 the state legislature officially changed the holiday's name.