Charles C. Gossett

Charles C. Gossett
United States Senator from Idaho
In office November 17, 1945 – November 6, 1946
Preceded by	John W. Thomas
Succeeded by	Henry Dworshak
20th Governor of Idaho
In office January 1, 1945 – November 17, 1945
Lieutenant	Arnold Williams
Preceded by	C. A. Bottolfsen
Succeeded by	Arnold Williams
Personal details
Born	Charles Clinton Gossett (1888-09-02)September 2, 1888 Pricetown, Ohio
Died	September 20, 1974(1974-09-20) (aged 86) Boise, Idaho
Resting place	Kohlerlawn Cemetery Nampa, Idaho
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Clara Louise Fleming
Residence	Nampa, Idaho
Profession	Agriculture
Religion	Christian

Charles Clinton Gossett (September 2, 1888 – September 20, 1974) was an American politician from Idaho. He served as the 20th Governor of Idaho and a United States Senator, but was in both offices less than a year.^[1]

Biography

Born in Pricetown, Ohio, Gossett attended public schools in Ohio. He moved west to Cunningham, Washington, in 1907, to Ontario, Oregon, in 1910, and finally to Nampa, Idaho, in 1922. He engaged in the agriculture, livestock, feed and shipping businesses.

Career

In 1932, Gossett was elected to the Idaho Legislature in the house. In 1936, he was elected the 22nd and 24th Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, serving alongside Governor Barzilla W. Clark. Four years later Gossett returned as lieutenant governor under Governor Chase A. Clark, Barzilla Clark's younger brother.

Gossett was elected governor in his own right in 1944, the last election for a two-year term, but served less than a year. He resigned in November 1945 to let his successor, Lieutenant Governor Arnold Williams, appoint him to the United States Senate to succeed the late John W. Thomas.^[2]

In the special election for the seat in 1946, Gossett was defeated in the Democratic primary in June by state senator George E. Donart,^[3] who in turn was defeated by Republican Congressman Henry Dworshak in the general election in November. After the loss, Gossett returned to his former business pursuits.

Gossett attempted a political comeback in 1954 in a run for governor. At the time, self-succession (re-election) was not allowed, and Len Jordan's term was ending. Gossett was defeated in the Democratic gubernatorial primary in August by state senator Clark Hamilton,^[4] who in turn lost to Republican Attorney General Robert E. Smylie in the general election. Gossett was appointed to the Idaho Tax Commission by Smylie in 1956 and served until 1967.^[5][6]

Family life

Gossett married Clara Louise Fleming on November 28, 1916,^[1] and they had three children.^[5]

Death

Following an extended illness, Gossett died at age 86 in Boise on September 20, 1974,^[7] and is interred at Kohlerlawn Cemetery in Nampa.^[8]

References

External links

• Charles C. Gossett at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• National Governors Association: biography
• Charles C. Gossett at Find a Grave

v t e Governors of Idaho Territorial (1863–1890) Wallace Lyon Ballard Bowen Bennett Thompson Brayman Neil Irwin Bunn Stevenson Shoup State (since 1890) Shoup Willey McConnell Steunenberg Hunt Morrison Gooding Brady Hawley Haines Alexander Davis Moore Baldridge Ross B. Clark Bottolfsen C. Clark Bottolfsen Gossett Williams Robins Jordan Smylie Samuelson Andrus Evans Andrus Batt Kempthorne Risch Otter

v t e United States Senators from Idaho Class 2 Shoup Dubois Borah Thomas Gossett Dworshak Miller Dworshak Jordan McClure Craig Risch Class 3 McConnell Dubois Heitfeld Heyburn Perky Brady Nugent Gooding Thomas Pope Clark Taylor Welker Church Symms Kempthorne Crapo