Arthur Mastick Hyde (July 12, 1877October 17, 1947) was an American Republican politician, who served as the 35th governor of Missouri from 1921 to 1925, and as the United States Secretary of Agriculture for President Herbert Hoover from 1929 to 1933.

Biography

Hyde was born on July 12, 1877, in

Princeton, Missouri Princeton is the county seat and largest city of Mercer County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,007 at the 2020 census, down from the 2010 census, which counted 1,166 people. Princeton, Missouri was also the birthplace of the famous ...

, the son of Caroline Emity Mastick and

Ira B. Hyde Ira Barnes Hyde (January 18, 1838 – December 6, 1926) was a Representative from Missouri. He was a Republican. Hyde was born in Guilford, New York in 1838. He served in the army during the Civil War, and was a representative between 1873 and ...

. Several of Arthur's family members were involved in politics; his father,

, was the U.S. representative from Missouri. His brother,

Laurance M. Hyde Laurance Mastick Hyde (February 2, 1892 – 1978) was a chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. He was a Republican. Hyde was born in Princeton, Missouri and served in the U.S. Army during World War I. He was the justice and then the ...

, would become a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Missouri. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1899. While at the University of Michigan, he joined the Delta Upsilon fraternity. In 1900, he completed his law degree at the University of Iowa. Hyde began practicing law with his father in Princeton. In 1911, he opened a

Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...

dealership. On October 19, 1904, Hyde married Hortense Clara Cullers. They had one daughter, Caroline C. Hyde. He was elected as mayor of Princeton in 1908. He served two terms, from 1908 to 1912. In 1912, Hyde unsuccessfully ran for Missouri Attorney General as a member of the Progressive Party. In 1915, he moved to Trenton, Missouri, and continued his work as a lawyer and automobile dealership owner. Hyde joined the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and spoke across Missouri for fund-raising campaigns. Swearing in of Arthur M

Hyde was elected as Governor of Missouri in the 1920 election, and served one term from 1921 to 1925. During his first month as governor, Hyde recommended extensive reorganization of state government by regrouping responsibilities into a few departments. Although challenged by

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

bosses, his administration made advances in public education, roads, state parks, conservation, law enforcement, and equitable taxes. Also during his time as governor, women were authorized to hold state office. Following his term as governor, Hyde returned to law practice in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

and Trenton. He then served as the

Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

under President Herbert Hoover from March 6, 1929, until March 5, 1933. During his tenure, farm prices declined, stock prices crashed, and the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

began. After his cabinet appointment, Hyde continued his work with the Methodist Church and the Republican Party. In 1935, he organized and spoke at the Conference of Methodist Laymen. He spoke for Republican candidates nationally and was the keynote speaker for the Missouri State Republican Convention in 1940. Arthur Hyde died in New York City, after cancer surgery on October 17, 1947, at age 70. He is buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Trenton, Missouri.

References

External links

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Time (magazine)
*http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_missouri/col2-content/main-content-list/title_hyde_arthur.html , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyde, Arthur M. 1877 births 1947 deaths Republican Party governors of Missouri University of Michigan alumni United States Secretaries of Agriculture People from Princeton, Missouri Hoover administration cabinet members 20th-century American politicians People from Trenton, Missouri