Walter Samuel Goodland (December 22, 1862March 12, 1947) was an American lawyer and politician and the 31st Governor of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. He was a member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

and attended

Lawrence University Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second college in the U.S. to be founded as a coeducation ...

in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Biography

Goodland, born in

Sharon, Wisconsin Sharon is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,586 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The village is adjacent to the Sharon, Walworth County, Wisconsin, Town of Shar ...

, was a lawyer and newspaper owner; he had owned a newspaper in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

in Iron Mountain. Goodland spent time on the Gogebic Range as a young man. He came to the range and began practicing law in

Wakefield, Michigan Wakefield is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,851 at the 2010 census. Wakefield is located in the western Upper Peninsula about east of the Wisconsin border. The city is mostly surrounded by Wakefi ...

. There he began the ''Wakefield Bulletin'', one of the early daily newspapers of the range. Later, he established the ''Ironwood Times'', disposing of it in May 1895 to Bennett and Green. The Ironwood Times continued to publish until May 1946. Goodland served in the Wisconsin State Senate. From 1911 to 1915, he was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River. Racine is situated 22 miles (35 km) south of Milwaukee and approximately 60 ...

. From 1939 to 1943, Walter Goodland was the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. In 1942, he was reelected

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 ...

. On December 7, 1942, Governor-elect Orland Steen Loomis died before his inaugural. The

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...

ruled that Lieutenant Governor Goodland would serve Orland Loomis's term as governor, overriding the view of Governor

Julius Heil Julius Peter Heil (July 24, 1876November 30, 1949) was an American politician and the 30th Governor of Wisconsin from 1939 to 1943. Early life Heil, a Jewish immigrant to the United States, was born in Düssmund an der Mosel, Germany. As a chi ...

that he should continue in office. Goodland was initially paid as the Lieutenant Governor, with a salary of $1,500 a year. He earned a six dollar daily bonus for being governor while the legislature was in session, and a five dollar daily bonus when it was not. In 1944, Walter Goodland was elected Governor of

in his own right, and in 1946 he was reelected. Walter Goodland died of a heart attack on Wednesday, March 12, 1947, while in office in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

, at age 84. At the time of his death, Goodland was the oldest individual to have served as governor of any state in the union. He also had the distinction of both assuming and relinquishing the office of governor due to a death, the death of Loomis and his own.

Honors

*Goodland Hall at

Mendota Mental Health Institute Mendota Mental Health Institute (MMHI) is a public psychiatric hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, operated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission. Portions of the facility are ...

was named for the governor. * Walter Goodland Elementary School, Racine, Wisconsin was named in his honor. *Goodland Park, one of Dane County's oldest parks, named for Wisconsin's oldest governor.

References

External links

Walter S. Goodland, Dictionary of Wisconsin History, Wisconsin State Historical SocietyWalter S. Goodland, Wisconsin State Historical Society, articles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodland, Walter Samuel 1862 births 1947 deaths People from Sharon, Wisconsin American publishers (people) Republican Party governors of Wisconsin Lawrence University alumni Lieutenant Governors of Wisconsin Mayors of Racine, Wisconsin Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators People from Wakefield, Michigan