Norman A. Erbe

Norman A. Erbe (1962)

Norman Arthur Erbe (born October 25, 1919 in Boone , Boone County , Iowa , † June 8, 2000 ibid) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1961 to 1963 the 35th governor of the state of Iowa.

Early years and political advancement

Erbe's training was interrupted by World War II. In this war he was first an officer in an infantry unit and then a pilot in the US Army Air Corps. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 1946, and graduated from law a year later.

In 1952 he became a prosecutor in Boone County. He also served as a legal representative for the Iowa Highway Commission for three years . After all, he served as Attorney General of his state between 1957 and 1961 . In 1960 he was elected as the candidate of the Republican Party for the new governor of his home state.

Governor of Iowa

Norman Erbe took up his new office on January 12, 1961. During his two-year term in office, the education budget was increased and prison reform was carried out. Iowa constituencies for congressional elections were reorganized and the legislature paved the way for Iowa to join the Kerr Mills Health Care Improvement Program. Erbe ran for a second term in 1962, but was defeated by his Democratic opponent Harold Hughes . This defeat was also a result of his stance on the alcohol issue. The main point of contention in the election campaign was the question of prohibition or whether Iowa should maintain or change the right to sell alcohol. Back then you could only buy beer in bars, and wine and other spirits in state shops or private clubs. This practice was often violated and the door was wide open to corruption. Still, Governor Erbe wanted to hold on to it, while Hughes sought a fairer system of controlling alcohol sales and consumption.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship on January 17, 1963, Erbe withdrew from politics. Later he was Vice President of the American Paraplegia Foundation. He was also the local representative for the US Department of Transportation . Norman Erbe died in 2000 and was buried in Boone. He had three children with his wife, Jacqueline Doran.

Web links

• Norman legacy at the National Governors Association (English)
• Norman A. Erbe in the database of Find a Grave (English)