Steven V. Carter (October 8, 1915 – November 4, 1959) was a Democratic

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from south central

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

in 1959. Born in Carterville, Utah, at age fourteen Carter moved with his parents to

Lamoni, Iowa Lamoni is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,969 at the time of the 2020 Census. Lamoni is the home of Graceland University, affiliated with the Community of Christ, and the city was the church's headquarters fro ...

, and graduated from Lamoni High School. He graduated from

Graceland College Graceland University is a private university with campuses in Lamoni, Iowa, and Independence, Missouri. The university offers degree completion and master's degree programs at satellite campuses in Centerville and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Trento ...

, in 1934, 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 1937, and the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. Iowa is ranked the 28th-best law school in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or U ...

in 1939.

Admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1939, Carter commenced the practice of law in

Leon, Iowa Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Decatur County. The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area. Leon is home to a major rodeo ...

. He served as county attorney of

Decatur County, Iowa Decatur County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,645. The county seat is Leon. This county is named for Stephen Decatur Jr., a hero in the War of 1812. History Decatur County was orga ...

from 1940 to 1944, but his tenure ended when he enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, serving as a supply officer in the South Pacific Theatre in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war, he then served as

city attorney A city attorney is a position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the municipality. Unlike a district attorney or public defender, who usually handles criminal cases, a city at ...

Leon Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again f ...

from 1946 to 1948. In 1948, 1950, and 1956, Carter was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the U.S. House seat held by

Karl M. LeCompte Karl Miles LeCompte (May 25, 1887 – September 30, 1972) was a ten-term Republican U.S. Representative from south-central Iowa. He won ten consecutive races from 1938 to 1956, before choosing not to run again in 1958. Born in Corydon, Iowa ...

. He formally challenged the outcome of the 1956 election, but in 1958 Congress rejected his challenge. When LeCompte did not seek re-election in 1958, Carter ran again for the House, and won, defeating Republican

John Henry Kyl John Henry Kyl (May 9, 1919 – December 23, 2002) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Iowa's 4th congressional district from 1959 to 1965 and again from 1967 to 1973. ...

. Carter had suffered from cancer before his election to Congress, but believed that he had fully recovered. However, during his first month in Congress doctors determined that the cancer had returned, and he was soon hospitalized. Carter served from January 3, 1959, until his death in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, on November 4, 1959. Kyl then won a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-larges ...

to fill the vacancy. Carter was interred in Leon Cemetery, Leon, Iowa.

References

External links

* * * * Th
Steven V. Carter Papers
are housed at the University of Iowa Special Collections & University Archives. {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Steven V. 1915 births 1959 deaths People from Lamoni, Iowa Graceland University alumni Deaths from cancer in Maryland University of Iowa College of Law alumni United States Navy officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa People from Leon, Iowa Iowa lawyers 20th-century American lawyers United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American politicians Military personnel from Iowa

See also

References

External links