State Web Site

Military Service: Army

War(s) Served:  World War I

ROBERT DONALD BLUE, Iowa's thirtieth governor, was born in Eagle Grove, Iowa on September 24, 1898. He attended Capital City Commercial College in 1917, and the following year he was enrolled at Iowa State College. However, his education was temporarily interrupted, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War I. After his military service, he earned a law degree from Drake University in 1922. He established his legal career, serving as the Wright County attorney from 1924 to 1931, and serving as the city attorney for Eagle Grove from 1932 to 1934. Blue entered politics in 1934, serving as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, a position he held nine years, the last two of which were as speaker. He also served as the lieutenant governor of Iowa from 1943 to 1945. Blue won the 1944 Republican gubernatorial nomination and was sworn into the governor's office on January 11, 1945. He was reelected to a second term in 1946. During his tenure, he was a proponent of initiating a public employees retirement plan; he advocated for a county assessor law; he endorsed maintaining the state hospital program; and promoted the state's farm to market road system. Also, the Iowa Centennial Memorial Foundation was established which awarded scholarships to Iowa's state colleges and universities. After losing his reelection bid, Blue left office on January 13, 1949 and retired from public service. Governor Robert D. Blue died on December 13, 1989.

Sources:

Iowa State Treasurer: Robert D. Blue Scholarship

The Political Graveyard

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

State of Iowa