Harry Hines Woodring

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Hines Woodring

Harry Hines Woodring (born May 31, 1890 in Elk City , Montgomery County , Kansas , † September 9, 1967 in Topeka , Kansas) was an American politician , governor of the state of Kansas and US Secretary of War under President Franklin D. Roosevelt .

Early years and political advancement

Woodring was born in Elk City in 1890, where he attended the city's public school and county school . At the age of 16 he started working as a porter at the First National Bank of Neodesha . He quickly moved and became vice president and owner of the bank before joining the US armed forces as a simple soldier . Later, he became an officer with the rank of lieutenant ( Second Lieutenant ) in the Panzer Corps in the First World War . He was elected area commander of the American Legion in Kansas before selling his banking business to go into politics in 1928.

Kansas Governor

Governor Woodring (center) with presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt (left) and his vice-presidential candidate John Nance Garner (right) during the 1932 election campaign

In 1930 Woodring was elected the Democratic Party candidate for 25th Governor of Kansas. He began his two-year term on January 12, 1931. His entire reign was overshadowed by the Great Depression that shook the entire western world after the New York stock market crash of October 1929. In Kansas, too, the number of unemployed rose dramatically. As in the rest of the country, the banking system was badly damaged. As a result, the state budget was also affected and salaries in the public sector were cut as a result. The government responded with tax breaks and the establishment of an independent labor ministry. However, these measures were not yet sufficient to achieve sweeping success. This was only achieved in the following years, when President Roosevelt's New Deal policy led to the gradual overcoming of the economic crisis in Kansas. Regardless of this, a driver's license was introduced in Woodring's time as governor. A committee for the care of disabled children was also set up in those years. In 1932, Woodring missed re-election. Therefore, he had to resign on January 9, 1933 from his office.

US Secretary of War

After his tenure ended, he became a member of Roosevelt's cabinet . Between 1933 and 1936 he was Deputy Minister of War and then Minister of War until 1940. During this time, future international tensions were already emerging. In Europe, Germany was arming itself militarily and was increasingly becoming a source of foreign policy unrest. This process led directly to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. At the same time, Japan was constantly expanding its sphere of influence in Asia, including with military means. This created increasing tensions with the US, which saw its Pacific interests threatened. Against this background, Woodring advocated reinforcement of the American armed forces in the War Department. The mobilization plans have also been revised. Woodring, on the other hand, was a supporter of US isolationism . For this reason he was against American aid deliveries to Great Britain in 1940, which resulted in the 1941 lending and leasing law . Therefore he resigned from his post.

In 1946 and 1956, Woodring ran unsuccessfully for a return to the governorship. Then he retired from politics. The ex-governor died of a stroke in September 1967. He was married to Helen Coolidge, with whom he had three children.

literature

  • Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport 1978. 4 volumes.
  • Book Reviews From Parameters , Autumn 2006, pages 124-49.

Web links

Commons : Harry Hines Woodring  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files
personal data
SURNAME Woodring, Harry Hines
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 31, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH Elk City , Kansas
DATE OF DEATH September 9, 1967
Place of death Topeka , Kansas