Dwight Palmer Griswold (November 27, 1893April 12, 1954) was an American publisher and politician from the U.S. state of
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. He served as the 25th
governor of Nebraska
The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential e ...
from 1941 to 1947, and in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
from 1952 until his death in 1954. Griswold was a member of the
Republican Party.
Early life
Griswold was born in
Harrison, Nebraska
Harrison is a village in Sioux County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 239 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sioux County.
History
Harrison was originally called Bowen, and under that name was platted in 1886, when the Fr ...
, and attended public schools in
Gordon, Nebraska
Gordon is a city in Sheridan County in the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. Its population was 1,612 at the 2010 census.
History
Gordon was incorporated as a village in 1885 when the railroad was extended to ...
. He attended the Kearney Military Academy and
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) is a private Methodist-affiliated university in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2017, it has approximately 2,100 students including 1,500 full-time students and 300 ...
. Griswold received a B.A. degree from the
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
in Lincoln in 1914.
Griswold served as an
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
on the
U.S.–Mexico border from 1916 to 1917, and became a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in
field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the early 20t ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
Career
Griswold was the editor and publisher of the ''Gordon Journal'' in Gordon, Nebraska, from 1922 to 1940.
He served in the Nebraska House of Representatives in 1920 and in the Nebraska Senate from 1925 to 1929. He was an unsuccessful candidate for governor in
1932
Events January
* January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel.
* January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...
,
1934
Events
January–February
* January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established.
* January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...
, and
1936
Events
January–February
* January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
. He was elected governor in
1940 and reelected in
1942
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...
and
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...
. Griswold challenged
Sen. Hugh A. Butler
Hugh Alfred Butler (February 28, 1878July 1, 1954) was an American United States Republican Party, Republican politician from Nebraska
Life and career
Hugh Butler was born on a farm near Missouri Valley, Iowa on February 28, 1878. He graduated ...
in the 1946 Republican primary, but was badly defeated.
Griswold served in the
Military Government of Germany in 1947 and was chief of the American mission for aid to
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
from 1947 to 1948. He was elected to the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in 1952 to complete an unexpired term scheduled to end on January 3, 1955, but died on April 12, 1954, in the
Bethesda Naval Hospital
The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), formerly known as the National Naval Medical Center and colloquially referred to as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Walter Reed, or Navy Med, is a United States' tri-service military medi ...
of a heart attack. Griswold was the third of six Senators to serve during the fifteenth Senate term for
Nebraska's Class 2 seat, from January 3, 1949 to January 3, 1955. He is interred at Fairview Cemetery in
Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Scottsbluff is a city in Scotts Bluff County, in the western part of the state of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. The population was 14,436 at the 2020 census. Scottsbluff is the largest city in the Nebraska Panhandl ...
.
Griswold is a member of the
Nebraska Hall of Fame.
References
Further reading
''Nebraska Blue Book, 1954.'' (Lincoln, NE: Nebraska Legislative Council, 1954)
This biographical sketch is based largely on the entry in the Nebraska Blue Book, 1954.
External links
govtrack.usat the
National Governors Association
The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politica ...
*
Dwight Palmer Griswold entryat
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Griswold, Dwight P.
1893 births
1954 deaths
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American newspaper publishers (people)
American people of World War I
Republican Party governors of Nebraska
Republican Party members of the Nebraska House of Representatives
Military personnel from Nebraska
Republican Party United States senators from Nebraska
Republican Party Nebraska state senators
Nebraska Wesleyan University alumni
People from Sioux County, Nebraska
United States Army officers
University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni