Frank Collins Emerson (May 26, 1882February 18, 1931) was an American engineer and politician from

Wyoming Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...

. He was most notable for his service as the 15th Governor of

from January 3, 1927, until his death.

Biography

Frank C. Emerson was born in

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

on May 26, 1882. He graduated from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1904 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

. After graduating from college, Emerson relocated to

Cora, Wyoming Cora is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sublette County, Wyoming. The population was 142 at the 2010 census. History Cora may have been named after Cora House, a cowgirl who lived in the area. In the early 20th century, the town post office ...

, where he became chief engineer of the Wyoming Land and Irrigation Company. He later worked for other corporations, including the Big Horn Canal Association, Lower Hanover Canal Association, Wyoming Sugar Company, and Worland Drainage District. From 1919 to 1926, Emerson served as Wyoming State Engineer. In this post, Emerson was one of the main proponents of the Colorado River Compact. In 1923, Governor

William B. Ross William Bradford Ross (December 4, 1873 – October 2, 1924) was an American politician who served as the List of Governors of Wyoming, 12th governor of Wyoming as a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat. Life William Bradford Ross was bor ...

removed Emerson from the state engineer's post. Emerson sued, and after a 10-month court fight he was reinstated. Ross died in late 1924 and was succeeded first by

Frank Lucas Frank Lucas (September 9, 1930 – May 30, 2019) was an American drug trafficker who operated in Harlem, New York City, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade and buying heroin directly ...

, then by Ross's widow

Nellie Tayloe Ross Nellie Davis Tayloe Ross (November 29, 1876 – December 19, 1977) was an American educator and politician who served as the 14th governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927, and as the 28th and first female director of the United States Mint from 193 ...

, who won the 1924 special election to complete her husband's term and became the first woman governor in the United States. In 1926, Emerson won the Republican nomination for governor and he defeated Nellie Ross in the general election. He was reelected in 1930, and served from January 1927 until his death. Emerson died of pneumonia in

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...

on February 18, 1931. He was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne. Emerson was married to Zennia Jean Reynders. They were the parents of three children.

References

External links

Frank C. Emerson papers
at th
Frank C. Emerson
at American Heritage Center
Frank C. Emerson
at Wyoming Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Emerson, Frank 1882 births 1931 deaths 20th-century American engineers Republican Party governors of Wyoming Politicians from Saginaw, Michigan University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni 20th-century American politicians