George W. Clarke (Iowa politician)

American politician (1852–1936) Not to be confused with George W. Clarke (Newfoundland politician) or George W. Clarke (Washington politician).

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George W. Clarke


21st Governor of Iowa
In office January 16, 1913 – January 11, 1917
Lieutenant	William L. Harding
Preceded by	Beryl F. Carroll
Succeeded by	William L. Harding
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
In office January 14, 1909 – January 16, 1913
Governor	Beryl F. Carroll
Preceded by	Warren Garst
Succeeded by	William L. Harding

Personal details
Born	George Washington Clarke (1852-10-24)October 24, 1852 Shelby County, Indiana, U.S.
Died	November 28, 1936(1936-11-28) (aged 84) Adel, Iowa, U.S.
Resting place	Adel Cemetery
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Arletta Greene (m. 1878)
Children	4
Relatives	Nile Kinnick (grandson)
Alma mater	Oskaloosa College (AB) University of Iowa College of Law

George Washington Clarke (October 24, 1852 – November 28, 1936) served two terms as the 21st Governor of Iowa from 1913 to 1917.

Early life

George Washington Clarke was born on October 24, 1852, in Shelby County, Indiana, to Eliza (née Akers) and John Clarke. At the age of four, his family moved near Drakesville, Iowa. He taught school in Bloomfield, Iowa. He graduated from Oskaloosa College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1877. He graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1878.

Career

Clarke served four years as justice of the peace and in 1882 formed a law partnership with John B. White. He was a Republican. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1901 to 1909 and was speaker of the house for two terms from 1904 to 1909. He was chair of the judiciary committee. He was lieutenant governor for two terms from 1909 to 1913. In 1912, he defeated Bull Moose Party candidate John L. Stevens for Governor of Iowa. He served from 1913 to 1917. During his tenure, he pushed for a US$2,285,000 beautification project of the Iowa State Capitol grounds. The grounds were expanded from four blocks to 93 acres (38 ha). He advocated for better roads and workmen's compensation laws.

Clarke was dean of Drake University Law School for one year. He was manager for the campaign of Albert B. Cummins. He practiced law in Des Moines, Iowa. His papers are in the collection of the University of Iowa.

Personal life

Clarke married Arletta Greene on June 23, 1878. He had two sons and two daughters, including Fred, Charles and Frances. In 1895, he established a farm near Adel. He had an extensive book collection and library. One of his grandchildren was Nile Kinnick, who won the Heisman Trophy while playing for the University of Iowa.

Clarke died on November 28, 1936, at his home in Adel. He was buried in Adel Cemetery.

References

^ "Ill Few Days in Adel Home; Had 2 Terms". The Des Moines Register. November 29, 1936. p. 17. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Clark Dies". The Sioux City Journal. November 29, 1936. p. A14. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "41 Men Have Served as Governors of the Territory or State". The Des Moines Register. January 14, 1996. p. 7. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Clarke, George Washington". The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
^ "Clarke, Twice Governor, Dies". The Des Moines Register. November 29, 1936. p. 4. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Widow of Former Iowa Governor Dies at 92". The Gazette. January 3, 1949. p. 12. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Death Claims George Clarke at Age of 79". The Sioux City Journal. November 29, 1936. p. 1. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
"Clarke Rites to Be Tuesday". The Des Moines Register. November 30, 1936. p. 4. Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

Party political offices
Preceded byBeryl F. Carroll	Republican nominee Governor of Iowa 1912, 1914	Succeeded byWilliam L. Harding
Political offices
Preceded byWarren Garst	Lieutenant Governor of Iowa 1909–1913	Succeeded byWilliam L. Harding
Preceded byBeryl F. Carroll	Governor of Iowa 1913–1917	Succeeded byWilliam L. Harding

v t e Governors of Iowa
Territorial (1838–1846)	Conway (Acting) Lucas Chambers Clarke	Iowa portal
State (since 1846)	Briggs Hempstead Grimes Lowe Kirkwood Stone Merrill Carpenter Kirkwood Newbold Gear Sherman Larrabee Boies Jackson Drake Shaw Cummins Garst Carroll Clarke Harding Kendall Hammill Turner Herring Kraschel Wilson Hickenlooper Blue Beardsley Elthon Hoegh Loveless Erbe Hughes Fulton Ray Branstad Vilsack Culver Branstad Reynolds	Iowa portal

v t e Lieutenant governors of Iowa
Faville Rusch Needham Eastman Gue Scott Walden Bulis Dysart Newbold Campbell Manning Hull Poyneer Bestow Dungan Parrott Milliman Herriott Garst Clarke Harding Moore Hammill Kimball McFarlane Kraschel Valentine Hickenlooper Blue Evans Nicholas Elthon Nicholas McManus Mooty Fulton Jepsen Neu Branstad Anderson Zimmerman Corning Pederson Judge Reynolds Gregg Cournoyer

v t e Speakers of the Iowa House of Representatives
Browne Bonham Temple Grant Noble McFarland Shelledy Edwards Clarke Butler Wright Russell Cotton Wilson Gear J. Y. Stone Alford Struble Wolf Head Redman Hamilton Mitchell H. Stone Byers Funk Bowen Eaton Clarke Kendall Feely Stillman Cunningham Atkinson Pitt McFarlane Anderson Edson Carter J. H. Johnson F. Johnson Miller Mitchell Foster Irwin Blue Burma Felton Kuester Lynes Hanson Mooty Lisle Nelson Naden Steffen Baringer Harbor Varley Cochran Millen Harbor Stromer Avenson Arnould Van Maanen Corbett Siegrist Rants Murphy Paulsen Upmeyer Grassley

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