John Burke (Governor)

John Burke (1920)

John Burke (born February 25, 1859 in Sigourney , Keokuk County , Iowa , †  May 14, 1937 in Rochester , Minnesota ) was an American politician . He was from 1907 to 1913 the 10th  Governor of the State of North Dakota and 1913-1921 Deputy Minister of Finance of the United States ( Treasurer of the United States ).

Early years and advancement

Burke attended local schools in his homeland. He then studied law at the University of Iowa . There he took his exam in 1886. In 1888, he moved to the Dakota Territory , where he worked as a harvest worker and teacher. Soon he was also a lawyer and judge in Rolette County . He later became a prosecutor in this district. He was a member of the Democratic Party . In 1891 he was elected to the North Dakota House of Representatives; between 1893 and 1895 he sat in the State Senate. In 1906 he was elected the new governor of his state with 52:44 percent of the vote against incumbent Elmore Y. Sarles . He was the first Democrat to be elected governor of North Dakota and only the second non- Republican governor .

politics

North Dakota Governor

Burke took up his new office in January 1907. After two re-elections, he was able to officiate until 1913. He was the first governor of his state to serve three terms. Many North Dakota laws were enacted or revised during his tenure. For example, a law against corruption was passed. Other laws covered child labor, healthcare, and food control. A tuberculosis hospital was also built during Burke's tenure. A juvenile criminal court was also established in North Dakota at that time. In addition, a tax commission was established and a public health laboratory was introduced. Burke's tenure marks the culmination of the progressive era in North Dakota.

According to him, Burke County named in North Dakota.

In government services

After the end of his third term, Burke was appointed Treasurer of the United States by the new US President Woodrow Wilson . In this role he remained during Wilson's entire tenure until 1921. In 1916, Burke ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the US Senate : He received only 38.2 percent of the vote and was defeated by the Republican Porter J. McCumber . After the end of his time in the Treasury, Burke initially worked as a lawyer. In 1924 he was appointed to the North Dakota Supreme Court as a judge. There he was between 1929 and 1931 and again from 1935 to 1937 even Chief Justice of his state.

John Burke was married to Mary E. Kane, with whom he had three children. Since 1963 a statue belonging to the National Statuary Hall Collection in the Capitol in Washington, DC commemorates him.

Web links

Commons : John Burke  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• John Burke in the National Governors Association
• Biography (English)
• North Dakota Historical Society
• John Burke in the database of Find a Grave (English)