Charles Milby Dale (March 8, 1893 – September 28, 1978) was an American lawyer and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...

from Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was the 66th

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

, serving from 1945 to 1949.

Early career

Dale was born in 1893 in

Browns Valley, Minnesota Browns Valley is a city in Traverse County, Minnesota, United States, adjacent to the South Dakota border. The population was 558 at the 2020 census. Browns Valley lies along the Little Minnesota River between the northern end of Big Stone L ...

, on the

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

—

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

border. He attended the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

, and then the

University of Minnesota Law School The University of Minnesota Law School is the law school of the University of Minnesota, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school confers four law degrees: a Juris Doctor (J.D.), a Master of Laws (LL.M.), a Master of Science in Patent L ...

; while in law school he served as Note Editor of the first volume of the ''

Minnesota Law Review The ''Minnesota Law Review'' is a student-run law review published by students at University of Minnesota Law School. The journal is published six times a year in November, December, February, April, May, and June. It was established by Henry J. Fl ...

'' and graduated in 1917.Remember Charles Dale
, ''Fletcher Files: Alumni Newsletter of the ''Minnesota Law Review', Accessed May 20, 2008. After law school he began a legal practice back in Brown's Valley, but upon the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

' entry into

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 left to enlist in the United States Army. Dale was assigned to the

Coast Artillery Corps The U.S. Army Coast Artillery Corps (CAC) was an administrative corps responsible for coastal, harbor, and anti-aircraft defense of the United States and its possessions between 1901 and 1950. The CAC also operated heavy and railway artillery ...

stationed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.History
, The Governor's House, Accessed May 20, 2008.

Political career

After the war, Dale decided to remain in Portsmouth and open his legal practice there. He soon found his way into politics; he was first elected city solicitor in 1921 and later

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 ...

from 1926 to 1928. He went back to legal practice but was elected in 1933 to the

state senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

, where he served as president. In 1937 he was elected to the

Executive Council of New Hampshire The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (commonly known as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor ...

. He returned to the state senate, then again served at the Mayor of Portsmouth from 1943 to 1944. He entered the Governor's race and during the Republican primary election defeated

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seeking re-ele ...

Governor Robert Blood. Dale then went on to win the general election and win reelection for a second two-year term. Dale retired from politics in 1948 to work in banking and radio in New Hampshire. He died in 1978 in Portsmouth.

References

External links

Dale at New Hampshire's Division of Historic Resources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dale, Charles M. 1893 births 1978 deaths Republican Party governors of New Hampshire Republican Party New Hampshire state senators Members of the Executive Council of New Hampshire Mayors of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Minnesota lawyers Military personnel from Minnesota United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War I New Hampshire lawyers Mayors of places in New Hampshire University of Minnesota Law School alumni People from Browns Valley, Minnesota 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers