George Washington Clarke (October 24, 1852 – November 28, 1936) served two terms as the 21st Governor of Iowa from 1913 to 1917.

Biography

In 1856 the Clarke family moved to

Davis County, Iowa Davis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,110. The county seat is Bloomfield. Davis County is included in the Ottumwa, IA Micropolitan Statistical Area. History Davis County was ...

, settling one mile east of Drakesville. He taught school in Bloomfield before attending

Oskaloosa College Oskaloosa College was a liberal arts college based out of Oskaloosa, Iowa. Work was begun on establishing the college in 1855, under the influence of Aaron Chatterson and was affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The college ...

, from which he graduated in 1877. Clarke earned a law degree from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

in 1878 and then moved to

Adel, Iowa Adel ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, Iowa. It is located along the North Raccoon River. Its population was 6,153 at the time of the 2020 Census. History Adel is the oldest town within Dallas County. Originally called Pen ...

. He married Arletta Greene on June 27, 1878. He served four years as Justice of the Peace and in 1882 formed a partnership with John B. White for the practice of law. From 1901 to 1909, he was a member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

, serving as Speaker from 1904 to 1909. He was the

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

from 1909 to 1913 serving under Governor Beryl F. Carroll, and then was elected governor in 1912 and reelected in 1914. After stepping down as governor, he was Dean of

Drake University Law School Drake University Law School is a professional graduate law school of Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has over 330 full-time students. The school is led by Dean Jerry Anderson. Founded in 1865, Drake Law School is one of t ...

from 1917 to 1918, and practiced law in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. His papers are in the collection of the University of Iowa. One of his grandchildren was

Nile Kinnick Nile Clarke Kinnick Jr. (July 9, 1918 – June 2, 1943) was an American naval aviator, law student, and college football player at the University of Iowa. He won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and was a consensus All-American. He died during a trainin ...

, who won the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

while playing for the

External links

National Governors Association profileUniversity of Iowa Library profile and list of papers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, George W. 1852 births 1936 deaths Drake University faculty Republican Party governors of Iowa Iowa lawyers Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Lieutenant Governors of Iowa Oskaloosa College alumni People from Davis County, Iowa People from Shelby County, Indiana Speakers of the Iowa House of Representatives University of Iowa College of Law alumni Burials in Iowa 20th-century American politicians