Lewis Orin Barrows (June 7, 1893 – January 30, 1967) was an American politician and the
57th Governor of Maine.
Early life
Barrows was born in
Newport, Maine
Newport is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,133 at the 2020 census. The town's borders surround the shoreline of Sebasticook Lake.
History
The town was settled about 1808 as East Pond Plantation, then inco ...
on June 7, 1893. He studied in the local schools of Newport, and later attended the
University of Maine
The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
, from which he graduated in 1916 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 pharmacy.
At the start of his career, Barrows was employed in his family's drug store, and he later became involved in the insurance business.
Politics
Barrow became the treasurer of Newport and held that position for twelve years. In 1926, he became a Republican state committeeman. He became a member of the governor's
executive council in 1927. He held that position until 1933. He served as Maine's
secretary of state from 1935 to 1936.
Barrow was nominated by the Republican Party for the governorship of Maine in
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 ...
, and went on to win the general election. In 1937, Barrows sent the
Maine Army National Guard to
Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is List of cities in Maine, the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County, Maine, Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, August ...
and
Auburn, Maine following a melee between workers and the local police during the
Lewiston-Auburn Shoe Strike. He was also successful in his re-election bid in
1938
Events
January
* January 1
** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...
, and held the governor's office from January 6, 1937, to January 1, 1941. During his administration, the state deficit of Maine was reduced, the budget was balanced, the state school fund was improved, old-age benefits payments were reinstated, the Maine Development Commissions' duties were increased, and federal funding was secured and those funding were used for the construction of new bridges, highways and public buildings.
Later years
After leaving the governor's office, Barrows worked for the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Boston. He died on January 30, 1967, in
Pittsfield, Maine.
References
Sources
Internet
*
*
Books
*
External sources
* Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. ''Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978''. Greenwood Press, 1988.
1893 births
1967 deaths
Republican Party governors of Maine
People from Newport, Maine
University of Maine alumni
20th-century American politicians
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