Walter Samuel Goodland

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Walter Samuel Goodland (b. December 22, 1862, Sharon, Wisconsin – d. March 12, 1947, Madison, Wisconsin) was an American politician and governor of Wisconsin. He was a Republican. He attended Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Walter Goodland was a lawyer and newspaper owner; he had owned a newspaper in Michigan in Iron Mountain. Goodland served in the Wisconsin State Senate. From 1911 to 1915, he was mayor of Racine, Wisconsin. From 1939 to 1943, Walter Goodland was lieutenant governor.

In 1942, he was reelected lieutenant governor. On December 7, 1942, Governor-elect Orland Steen Loomis died before his inaugural. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Lieutenant Governor Goodland would serve Orland Loomis's term as acting governor, overriding the view of Governor Julius Heil that he should continue as Governor of Wisconsin.

In 1944, Walter Goodland was elected Governor of Wisconsin, and in 1946 he was reelected. Walter Goodland died in office in Madison, Wisconsin, at age 84.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Walter Goodland was the oldest individual to date to serve as Governor of any state in the union.

Preceded by: Julius P. Heil

Governor of Wisconsin 1943 – 1947

Succeeded by: Oscar Rennebohm

Governors of Wisconsin

Dewey • Farwell • Barstow • MacArthur • Bashford • Randall • Harvey • Salomon • Lewis • Fairchild • Washburn • Taylor • Ludington • Smith • Rusk • Hoard • Peck • Upham • Scofield • R La Follette • Davidson • McGovern • Philipp • Blaine • Zimmerman • Kohler Sr • P La Follette • Schmedeman • P La Follette • Heil • Goodland • Rennebohm • Kohler Jr • Thomson • Nelson • Reynolds • Knowles • Lucey • Schreiber • Dreyfus • Earl • Thompson • McCallum • Doyle