Edward Ferdinand Arn (May 19, 1906 – January 22, 1998) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 32nd governor of Kansas from 1951 to 1955. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the 31st

attorney general of Kansas The Attorney General of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city i ...

from 1947 to 1949. He was the first governor of Kansas to have been born in the 20th century.

Biography

Arn grew up in

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, and attended Kansas City Junior College, the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, and the

Kansas City School of Law Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

. He was married twice - to Marcella Ruth Tillmans on October 28, 1933 and to Catherine Phillipi Ross. He had two children.

Career

Arn practiced law in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

, until he enlisted in the U. S. Navy. He served as a lieutenant aboard an aircraft carrier that fought in

Iwo Jima Iwo Jima (, also ), known in Japan as , is one of the Japanese Volcano Islands and lies south of the Bonin Islands. Together with other islands, they form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The highest point of Iwo Jima is Mount Suribachi at high. ...

. Returning to his law practice, Arn became active in local politics and served as Chairman of the Wyandotte County Republicans. From 1947 to 1949, he served as

Attorney General of Kansas The Attorney General of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city i ...

, and as an associate justice of the

Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as the sta ...

from 1949 to 1951. Arn won the Republican gubernatorial nomination was elected

Governor of Kansas A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

in 1950, re-elected in 1952, and served from 1951 to 1955. This made him the first Governor of Kansas born in the 20th century. During his tenure, the Kansas Turnpike Authority was established, workman's compensation benefits were improved, the Kansas Veteran's Commission was formed, a state department of Administration was organized, and the destructive floods of 1951 were dealt with. Arn left office on January 10, 1955, and returned to Wichita to practice law. He was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1960. He ran unsuccessfully for 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 1962.

Death

Arn died in a hospital in

, on January 22, 1998, and is interred at the Old Mission Chapel Mausoleum in Wichita.

References

External links

*
The Political GraveyardKansapediaPublications concerning Kansas Governor Arn's administration available via the KGI Online Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arn, Edward F. 1906 births 1998 deaths Politicians from Kansas City, Kansas Republican Party governors of Kansas Kansas Attorneys General Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court American Congregationalists United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American judges