Alf Landon
Alfred Mossman " Alf" Landon ( born September 9, 1887 in West Middlesex, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, † October 12, 1987 in Topeka, Kansas) was an American businessman and politician of the Republican Party. In 1936, he lost in the presidential election against incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was the 26th Governor of the state of Kansas.
Early years
Alf Landon grew up in Ohio, before he moved with his parents at the age of 17 years to Kansas. In Ohio, he attended the Academy Marietta; after he graduated in 1908 from the University of Kansas with a degree in Law. He was active in many business areas. Among others, he rose in 1912 in the oil business one. During World War II he served as an officer in the U.S. Army.
Political Rise and Governor of Kansas
Landon joined in 1912 the Progressive Party of Theodore Roosevelt. From 1922 he was the private secretary of the Governor Henry Justin Allen. Shortly afterwards, he became the leader of the liberal Republicans in Kansas. In 1932 he won the election for governor, and held that post until 1937. 1934, the political America became aware of him when he was confirmed as the only Republican governor in office. His reign was marked by tax cuts and the fiscal consolidation during the period after the Great Depression. Landon struggled in his tenure also to protect the environment. The administration was reformed and introduced unemployment benefits. In the lower levels of administration in Kansas same standards were introduced especially in budgetary matters.
Despite his reputation as a conservative hardliner when it comes to finances, he did not lose the social needs and grievances of the eyes. He was, indeed become since his re-election to the most serious opponent of Democratic U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom he also was concerned hard. Nevertheless, he advocated especially the social components of the New Deal, from which also benefited the economy in Kansas. After he had been set up by his party as a candidate for the presidential elections of 1936, he opted not to re-apply to the governorship in Kansas.
Further CV
The presidential elections of 1936 were a nightmare for Landon. From 48 states, he won only two, Maine and Vermont, and lost the election with over 8 523 electoral votes. For Landon to only 36.5 percent of the electorate had voted, while President Roosevelt reached 60.8 percent in the popular vote.
After this painful defeat and his time as Governor Landon retired from active politics. Nevertheless, he often made it clear his controversial position when he was asked. He vehemently against his party, which supported the neutrality laws, since he believed the Nazis in Germany would see the Americans as a weak and cowardly people. He also demanded during the Second World War that Britain should pay the military goods that the United States put them through the Lend-Lease Act available full. The Marshall Plan, however, he supported despite the financial size.
In 1966, Landon began with lectures from the economic field at the University of Kansas, the Landon Lectures, and thus founded a series of lectures to public concerns, which continue to the present day. He died 34 days after his 100th birthday. His political legacy came to his daughter, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, the first time in 1978 was elected senator from Kansas and was able to repeat their victory in 1984 and 1990.