Frank Carlson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Carlson
30th Governor of Kansas
In office January 13, 1947 – November 28, 1950
Lieutenant	Frank L. Hagaman
Preceded by	Andrew F. Schoeppel
Succeeded by	Frank L. Hagaman
Born	January 23, 1893 Cloud County, Kansas
Died	May 30, 1987 (aged 94) Concordia, Kansas
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alice Fredrickson
Profession	farmer, politician
Religion	Baptist

Frank Carlson (January 23, 1893-May 30, 1987) was an American politician who served as thirtieth Governor of Kansas and United States Representative and United States Senator from Kansas.

Born in 1893 near Concordia, Kansas, he attended public schools and Kansas State University before serving in World War I as a Private. After the war, he returned to Concordia to farm. He was elected as a Republican to first the Kansas Legislature then to the United States House of Representatives where he served from 1935 to 1947.

In 1946 he was elected governor of Kansas. As governor, he pushed mental health programs as well as a long-term highway project. In 1949, Kansas senator Clyde M. Reed died, and Carlson appointed Harry Darby to fill the seat. Darby continued his service in the Senate until Carlson himself was elected to fill the seat in 1950. Instead of waiting until January to be sworn in, he took his seat on November 28, 1950 (it is very common for someone who is elected to a Senate seat that is at the time occupied by an unelected appointee to be sworn in early), leaving the office of governor to Frank L. Hagaman who served less than two months.

In 1952, he campaigned to get fellow Kansan Dwight D. Eisenhower into the White House, and then brokered a deal through Ohio Senator Robert Taft, known as "Mr. Republican" for his leadership of the party's right-wing, became majority leader. According to Billy Graham's biography Just As I Am, Carlson organized the first Presidential Prayer Breakfast, later known as the National Prayer Breakfast and sponsored behind-the-scenes by The Family (Christian political organization). In 1955, Carlson coined the phrase "worldwide spiritual offensive" as a description of Cold War evangelical aims. In 1950, Carlson traveled to Haiti on behalf of The Family and returned to urge Congress to support the regime of the dictator Papa Doc Duvalier. Carlson was re-elected twice, in 1956 and 1962, before returning to Concordia for retirement.

Carlson died in 1987 in Concordia and was buried there in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. The federal court building in Topeka is named in his honor, US 81 from Concordia to Salina is named the "Frank Carlson Memorial Highway", the Frank Carlson Library in Concordia is named in his honor, and Wichita State University hosts the Frank Carlson Lecture Series. Carlson is the only Governor of Kansas to have served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.

[edit] External links

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Governor's Mansion Information
• Frank Carlson at Find A Grave Retrieved on 2008-03-19

v • d • e Governors of Kansas Robinson • Carney • Crawford • Green • Harvey • Osborn • Anthony • St. John • Glick • Martin • Humphrey • Lewelling • Morrill • Leedy • Stanley • Bailey • Hoch • Stubbs • Hodges • Capper • Allen • Davis • Paulen • Reed • Woodring • Landon • Huxman • Ratner • Schoeppel • Carlson • Hagaman • Arn • Hall • McCuish • G. Docking • Anderson • Avery • R. Docking • Bennett • Carlin • Hayden • Finney • Graves • Sebelius

v • d • e United States Senators from Kansas Class 2: Lane • Ross • Caldwell • Crozier • Harvey • Plumb • Perkins • Martin • Baker • Burton • Benson • Curtis • Thompson • Capper • Schoeppel • Pearson • Kassebaum • Roberts Class 3: Pomeroy • Ingalls • Peffer • Harris • Long • Bristow • Curtis • Allen • McGill • Reed • Darby • Carlson • Dole • Frahm • Brownback