Dwight H. Green

Dwight H. Green

Dwight Herbert Green (born January 9, 1897 in Ligonier , Noble County , Indiana , †  February 20, 1958 in Chicago , Illinois ) was an American politician and from 1941 to 1949 the 30th  governor of the state of Illinois.

Early years and political advancement

Between 1915 and 1917 Green attended Wabash College . In 1917 he dropped out of school to join the US Army during the First World War . After the end of the war he continued his education. In 1919 he studied at Stanford University and made his law exam in 1922 at the University of Chicago . He soon became a successful lawyer in Chicago. In 1926 he became a public prosecutor in the tax investigation department there. A year later, he was appointed to the Chicago federal tax investigation department. In this capacity, he was one of the accusers of Al Capone in the tax process that eventually led to the conviction and overthrow of the gang leader. Between 1932 and 1935 he was a federal attorney for the northern district of Illinois.

In 1939 he unsuccessfully applied for the office of mayor of Chicago. A year later the Republican Party nominated him as a candidate for the gubernatorial election of 1940, which he won with 52.9 percent of the vote against the Democrat Harry Hershey.

Illinois Governor

After the successful election, Green took up his new office on January 13, 1941. His term of office fell during the Second World War . Even before he took office, Hitler had started the war in Europe in 1939, while at the same time the Japanese expansion policy in the Pacific region was making unstoppable progress. Since a possible involvement of the USA in the war was already apparent at that time, preparations were also made in Illinois. On March 15, 1941, the National Guard was subordinated to the federal government. On April 17, 1941, the governor convened a defense council for Illinois. A Department of Public Safety was founded on May 16 . With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States was officially drawn into the war. A total of 670,000 Illinois men and women served in the American armed forces during World War II. At the same time, industrial production in Illinois, like in other states, had to be converted to war needs. In 1942, three German-Americans were sentenced to death for high treason in Chicago. The first controlled atomic reaction in the world was generated on December 2, 1942 at the University of Chicago. In January 1943, an oil pipeline from Longview , Texas, to Norris City , Illinois went into operation, delivering 300,000 barrels of oil daily.

In 1944, Green was re-elected by Illinois voters and elected to another four-year term. This began on January 8, 1945. After the war against Germany in May 1945 and the one against Japan in September , production had to be converted back to civilian needs. Now laws on the care of war veterans have also been passed. Otherwise a commission was set up to ensure equality between races, both on the labor market and in the housing sector. American History was legally introduced into state schools. It is also worth mentioning that weekly direct flights between Chicago and London have been offered since November 1945 . In 1947, 111 people were killed in a mine accident. In 1948, the Illinois railroad celebrated its 100th birthday. Governor Green ran unsuccessfully for a third term in 1948.

Another résumé

After retiring from the governor's office on January 10, 1949, Green largely withdrew from politics. He was only one delegate to the Republican National Convention . Green died on February 20, 1958 in Chicago. He was married to Mabel Victoria Kingston, with whom he had two children.

Web links

• Dwight Green at the National Governors Association (English)
• Dwight H. Green in nndb (English)

• Dwight H. Green in the database of Find a Grave (English)