Fred Hall (politician)

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Frederick Lee "Fred" Hall (born July 24, 1916 in Dodge City , Kansas , † March 18, 1970 in Shawnee , Kansas) was an American lawyer and politician and from 1955 to 1957 the 33rd  governor of the state of Kansas.

Early years and political advancement

Fred Hall attended his hometown Dodge City high school. There he got a scholarship for his achievements to the University of Southern California , where he also studied law. During the Second World War Hall volunteered for the military, but was not taken due to lack of fitness. Instead, he accepted an administrative position on the Combined Chiefs of Staff in Washington, DC . There he stayed from 1942 to 1944. He then worked as a lawyer in Topeka and Dodge City. Between 1947 and 1949 he was a district attorney in Ford County . In 1950, Republican Hall was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kansas. He was then Governor Edward F. Arn's deputy for four years . In 1954, he was himself elected governor against the Democrat George Docking .

Kansas Governor

Hall's two-year term began on January 10, 1955, during which time the school system was improved. A commission for drinking water treatment was set up and the registration fees for larger trucks were increased. A law in favor of workers, the so-called "Right to Work Bill", was overturned by a veto of the governor.

Hall's tenure ended curiously and somewhat scandalously. He was beaten by Warren Shaw in the 1956 Republican gubernatorial primaries. But this lost the actual election of that year against the Democrat George Docking. At the time, Kansas Chief Justice Bill Smith was seriously ill and was considering resigning. Smith was a supporter and friend of Governor Hall and worried that the newly elected Governor Docking might appoint a Democrat as the new Chief Justice after his resignation. Now Governor Hall and Deputy John McCuish came up with a plan to prevent this from happening. Following the plan, Smith resigned from the Chief Justice on December 31, 1956. He was followed on January 3, 1957 by Governor Hall with his resignation, which took place just eleven days before the end of his term of office. Under the Constitution, McCuish became governor of Kansas for the remaining eleven days. His first and only official act was the appointment of his predecessor Hall as the new Chief Justice. This approach was legally and politically correct, but it had a negative aftertaste. Many critics condemned this practice as immoral and unethical.

Another résumé

Fred Hall remained Chief Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court until 1958 . That year he resigned from office to run for governor again. The candidacy was unsuccessful. Then he withdrew from politics. He moved to California where he worked for the Aero General Corporation . He later returned to Kansas and continued to practice law. Ex-Governor Hall died in March 1970 and was buried in Dodge City.

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personal data
SURNAME Hall, Fred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hall, Frederick Lee
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American lawyer and politician
DATE OF BIRTH July 24, 1916
PLACE OF BIRTH Dodge City , Kansas
DATE OF DEATH March 18, 1970
Place of death Shawnee , Kansas