Edward F. Arn

Edward Ferdinand Arn (born May 19, 1906 in Kansas City , Kansas , † January 22, 1998 in Wichita , Kansas) was an American lawyer and politician and from 1951 to 1955 the 32nd  governor of the state of Kansas.

Early years and political advancement

Edward Arn attended Kansas City Junior College , the University of Kansas, and the Kansas City School of Law , where he studied law. He began a legal career as an attorney in Wichita after serving with the Kansas Freeway Administration. He joined the US Navy in 1943 and served as an officer on an aircraft carrier during World War II . Arn was already interested in politics in his school days. He quickly became the district chairman of the Republican Party in Wyandotte County . Between 1947 and 1949 Arn was Attorney General of Kansas . He was then a judge at the Kansas Supreme Court until 1950 , before he was elected the new governor of Kansas for his party in 1950.

Kansas Governor

Arn's tenure as governor began on January 8, 1951 and ended, after re-election in 1952, on January 10, 1955. During these four years, an independent highway maintenance authority ( Turnpike Authority ) was established in Kansas . A Citizen's Commission , a Grain Commission , a Department of Administration and a Veterans Committee have also been established. Social legislation was improved and the Ministry of Welfare reorganized. 1951 also saw devastating floods in the country, which the governor's government had to grapple with.

Further life

After his tenure ended, Arn retired to Wichita, where he practiced as a lawyer again. In 1962 he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate . In 1973 he was chairman of a Judical Study Advisory Commission . Edward Arn died in 1998 at the age of 91. He was buried in Wichita. The ex-governor was married twice and had two children in total.

Web links

• Edward Arn in the National Governors Association (English)
• Biography at the Kansas Historical Society (English)
• Edward F. Arn in the database of Find a Grave (English)