Wayne M. Ropes (October 23, 1898 – July 18, 1948) was an American politician and businessman. Born in Onawa,

Monona County, Iowa Monona County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,751. The county seat is Onawa. History The area around present-day Onawa was a stopping point in 1804 for Meriwether Lewis and William C ...

, Ropes graduated from Onawa High School in 1916. He then served 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 ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He went to the National Business College in

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

and to the Hohenshuh-Carpenter College of Embalding 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, ...

. Ropes worked as an accountant and with the Iowa State Banking Association. From 1925 to 1933, Ropes served as county auditor for Monona County. Ropes was involved with 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 ...

. From 1939 to 1941, Ropes served in 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 ...

for District 57. Then, from 1943 to 1947, Ropes served as the

Iowa Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Iowa is the commissioner of elections of the U.S. state of Iowa. A constitutional officer, the officeholder is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and ...

. Ropes died in a hospital in Des Moines, Iowa from a stroke.'Prominent Former County and State Official Died At Des Moines Sunday,' The Onawa Weekly Democrat, July 22, 1948, pg. 1

Notes

1898 births 1948 deaths People from Monona County, Iowa Businesspeople from Iowa Secretaries of State of Iowa Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American businesspeople Military personnel from Iowa United States Navy personnel of World War I American accountants County officials in Iowa County auditors in the United States {{Iowa-politician-stub