Ralph Lawrence Carr

Memorial bust for Ralph Lawrence Carr in Denver

Ralph Lawrence Carr (born December 11, 1887 in Rosita , Custer County , Colorado , †  September 22, 1950 in Denver , Colorado) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1939 to 1943 the 28th  governor of the state of Colorado.

Early years and political advancement

Ralph Carr attended the University of Colorado after elementary school . Before his political career, he worked as a lawyer and publisher. Between 1922 and 1929 he was a prosecutor for Conejos County . From 1927 to 1929 he served as the Assistant Attorney General of Colorado. He was then from 1929 to 1933 federal prosecutor for this state. Carr was a member of the Republican Party and in the 1930s was an opponent of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal policies , although he supported his foreign policy. On November 8, 1938 he was elected the new governor of his state, where he prevailed with 59.5 percent of the vote against the democratic incumbent Teller Ammons .

Governor of colorado

Carr took up his new office on January 10, 1939. After re-election in 1940, he was able to exercise it until January 12, 1943. During his tenure, he managed to reduce the budget deficit through internal transfers. The entire administrative structure of the state was reformed. His second term of office was determined by the events of World War II , to which Colorado also had to make its contribution. As everywhere else, production was converted to armaments requirements. Soldiers were recruited and made available to the armed forces. Governor Carr made himself unpopular with many Americans when he spoke out against the internment of Americans of Japanese descent ordered by the federal government . He stood up for their rights as a US citizen and was generally against racism. This attitude cost him his further political career. An attempt to be elected to the US Senate failed in 1942.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Carr initially withdrew from politics. It was not until 1950 that he returned to the political stage. His party nominated him for the upcoming gubernatorial election that year. Ralph Carr died before the election date. He was married twice and had two children in total.

Web links

• Carr in the National Governors Association (English)
• Ralph Lawrence Carr in the database of Find a Grave (English)