George L. Sheldon

George L. Sheldon (1908)

George Lawson Sheldon (born May 31, 1870 in Nehawka , Cass County , Nebraska , †  April 4, 1960 in Greenville , Mississippi ) was an American politician and between 1907 and 1909 the 15th  governor of the state of Nebraska.

Early years and political advancement

After attending local elementary schools, Sheldon attended the University of Nebraska , which he successfully graduated in 1892. He then studied at Harvard University for a year . During the Spanish-American War he served as captain of a volunteer unit from Nebraska. Between 1902 and 1904 Sheldon served in the Nebraska Senate . He was a member of the Republican Party and was elected as its candidate for the new governor of Nebraska in 1906. In the elections, he beat his Democratic opponent Ashton C. Shallenberger by a clear margin.

Governor of Nebraska

Sheldon's two-year tenure began on January 3, 1907 and ended on January 7, 1909. During this time, a state railway committee was established. Free tickets for the use of the railway were abolished, but the fare for passengers was reduced. The law introduced by his predecessor, John H. Mickey , to introduce the pre-selection system came into force at this time. In 1908 Sheldon ran for a second term, but this time he lost to Shallenberger.

Another résumé

After his tenure ended, Sheldon moved to Mississippi, where he had bought a plantation years earlier. He was also politically active in his new home. Between 1920 and 1924 he was a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives ; from 1930 to 1933 he was head of the US tax authorities in this state ( Collector of Internal Revenue ). George Sheldon died in April 1960 at the age of nearly 90. He was married to Rose Higgins, with whom he had four children.

Web links

• George Sheldon in the National Governors Association (English)