George E. Leach
| George Emerson Leach | |
|---|---|
 Leach as Militia Bureau Chief | |
| Born |
July 14, 1876 Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
| Died |
July 17, 1955 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California |
| Buried at | Fort Snelling National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | 1905–1941 |
| Rank |
 Major General |
| Commands held |
151st Field Artillery Regiment 56th Field Artillery Brigade National Guard Bureau 34th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars |
Pancho Villa Expedition World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Army Distinguished Service Medal Purple Heart |
| Other work |
Mayor of Minneapolis Insurance executive Owner, vending business |
Major General George Emerson Leach (July 14, 1876 – July 17, 1955) was a United States Army Major General and two-time Republican Mayor of Minneapolis.
Early life
George Emerson Leach was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on July 14, 1876.[1] He was raised in Minneapolis, graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1897,[2] and began a career in the insurance business.[3]
Start of military career
In April, 1905 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery in the Minnesota National Guard.[4]
Leach advanced through the ranks in command and staff assignments. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1916.[5] In 1916 and 1917 he saw active duty on the United States–Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition, first as a Major, and later Colonel and commander of the 151st Artillery Regiment.[6]
World War I
During World War I Leach commanded the 151st Field Artillery Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, and took part in the battles at Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne.[7]
Post World War I
After the war Leach remained in command of the 151st Field Artillery until November, 1921. He also resumed his work in the insurance business as a manager for the St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company.[8]
Mayor of Minneapolis
In June, 1921 Leach was elected Mayor of Minneapolis.[9] He entered the race as a conservative, and was reelected in 1923,[10] but in his second term his opponents accused him of being a communist because he opposed private ownership of an electric power dam on the Mississippi River.[11]
At the same time, the Ku Klux Klan was growing in Minnesota within the ranks of several fraternal orders, primarily the Masons and Shriners. Although Leach was a member of several such organizations, and the Klan initially saw him as a de facto ally, they later regarded him as an adversary because he had appointed a Catholic as his secretary and had dined with the Knights of Columbus. The Klan also disliked Leach because he prevented police officers from joining the Klan, and because he launched an investigation into Klan activity at the University of Minnesota.
The Klan fielded its Exalted Cyclops, Roy Miner, as a mayoral candidate against Leach in 1925. Miner campaigned on the issues of eliminating illegal gambling and vice, which he claimed Leach abetted. In addition, the Klan found a woman in a local jail who claimed she had had an affair with Leach, and publicized the charge in an effort to enmesh Leach in a scandal.
A grand jury decided that the story of the affair was criminally libelous. The case went to trial and Floyd B. Olson handled the prosecution against five Klan leaders.[12] The witness admitted that she had lied about Leach, and Leach denied both the affair and the charges of protecting vice and gambling. The jury, all Protestants, found the Klan members guilty and sentenced them to prison.[13] Leach won a landslide reelection against the Klan's stand-in for Miner, Senator William A. Campbell.[14]
In 1926 Leach was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor. He was reelected Mayor in 1927,[15] but was defeated for reelection in 1929.[16]
Chief of the National Guard Bureau
In 1923 Leach was promoted to Brigadier General as commander of Minnesota's 59th Field Artillery Brigade.[17]
In 1931 he was appointed Chief of the National Guard Bureau and promoted to Major General.[18] He served in this position until 1935.
After serving as Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Leach returned to command of the 59th Field Artillery Brigade, reverting to his permanent rank of Brigadier General.[19]
In 1937 he was elected President of the National Guard Association of the United States.[20]
Return to Mayor's office
In 1937 Leach was again elected Mayor.[21] He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Minnesota in 1938.[22] He was reelected Mayor in 1939,[23] and served until 1941.
World War II
From 1940 until his retirement in 1941 Leach was commander of the 34th Infantry Division again receiving promotion to Major General. Under his command the division was activated and began its initial preparations and training for entry into World War II.[24]
Awards and decorations
Leach's awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal and Purple Heart in addition to other service and achievement awards.[25]
Later life
Leach operated a vending machine company, George E. Leach, Inc., and was Chairman of the National Automatic Merchandising Association.[26]
Amateur sports affiliation
Leach was an avid skier. In 1924 he managed the U.S. Olympic Ski Team,[27] and he was the National Ski Association's representative to the 1924 convention which led to the creation of the International Ski Federation.[28]
Death and burial
Leach died in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 1955.[29] He was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Section D.S., Site 65-N.[30]
Legacy
Leach is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowbard Hall of Fame.[31]
The George E. Leach Range and Leach Avenue at Camp Ripley are named for him.[32]
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References
- ↑ United States Coast Artillery Association, Coast Artillery Journal, Volume 75, 1932, page 54
- ↑ The University of Minnesota, The Gopher: Annual Publication of the Student Body of the University of Minnesota, Volume 33, 1920, page 227
- ↑ Marion Daniel Shutter, History of Minneapolis: Gateway to the Northwest, Volume 2, 1932, page 226
- ↑ Minnesota Adjutant General, Annual Report, 1905, page 166
- ↑ Minnesota War Records Commission, Commission Publications, Volume 2, 1924, page 376
- ↑ Utica Daily Press, Leach to Head National Guard, November 14, 1931
- ↑ George E. Leach, War Diary, 1923, Title page
- ↑ Northwest Insurance magazine, Candidate for Governor, Volume 36, 1938, pages 22-23
- ↑ New York Times, Townley Radical Beaten: Minneapolis Election for Mayor Returns Conservative Candidate, June 14, 1921
- ↑ New York Times, Leach Re-elected Minneapolis Mayor, June 13, 1923
- ↑ David M. Chalmers, Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan, 1981, page 149
- ↑ John Beecher, Tomorrow Is a Day: A Story of the People in Politics, 1980, page 189
- ↑ Kenneth T. Jackson, The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930, pages 161-162
- ↑ Kenneth T. Jackson, The Ku Klux Klan in the City, 1915-1930, 1992, pages 161-162
- ↑ New York Times, Minneapolis Re-elects Leach Mayor, June 15, 1927
- ↑ Herbert Lefkovitz, New York Times, Leach's Landslide Held Spectacular, May 16, 1937
- ↑ Minnesota Adjutant General, Annual report, 1923, page 4
- ↑ New York Times, Gen. G.E. Leach Heads Army Militia Bureau, November 14, 1931
- ↑ National Guard Bureau, Annual report, 1938, page 8
- ↑ New York Times, Guard Elects Mayor Leach, October 31, 1937
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, Minneapolis Mayor, June 16, 1937
- ↑ Christian Science Monitor, Benson Leads in Minnesota, June 21, 1938
- ↑ New York Times, Minneapolis Re-elects Leach, June 14, 1939
- ↑ John H. Hougen, The story of the famous 34th Infantry Division, 1949
- ↑ National Guard Bureau, Biographical sketch, George E. Leach, accessed April 16, 2013
- ↑ Billboard magazine, 11 Operators Seek Part in Canteen Case, October 4, 1947
- ↑ Christian Science Monitor, Ski Team Will Take Chicago Olympic Bid, January 16, 1924
- ↑ U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum, Honored member page, George Emerson Leach, accessed April 16, 2013
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Deaths Elsewhere: George Emerson Leach, July 19, 1955
- ↑ U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Nationwide Gravesite Locator, entry for George E. Leach, accessed April 16, 2013
- ↑ New York Times, Five Named Posthumously To U.S. Ski Hall of Fame, February 13, 1969
- ↑ Minnesota National Guard, Memorializations at Camp Ripley, 2010, pages 4, 6
- ↑ Associated Press, Reading Eagle, Leach Placed at Head of National Guard, November 13, 1931
- ↑ Sons of the American Revolution, The Sons of the American Revolution Magazine, Volumes 50-53, 1955, page 12
External links
- "George E. Leach". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by J. E. Meyers |
Mayor of Minneapolis 1921 – 1929 |
Succeeded by William F. Kunze |
| Preceded by Thomas E. Latimer |
Mayor of Minneapolis 1937 – 1941 |
Succeeded by Marvin L. Kline |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by MG William G. Everson |
Chief of the National Guard Bureau 1931 – 1935 |
Succeeded by Col. Herold J. Weiler (acting) |
|