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Military Service: Army

War(s) Served:  World War I

Honors/Awards:  Purple Heart

FRANK LESLIE HAGAMAN, the thirty-first governor of Kansas, was born in Bushnell, Illinois on June 1, 1894. His education was attained at Rosedale High School, the University of Kansas and at George Washington University where he earned a law degree in 1921. During World War I, he was seriously wounded while serving as a private in the 117th Kansas Ammunition Train. He later was awarded a Purple Heart with a special citation for his participation in the war effort. After his military service, he established his legal career in Wyandotte County, serving as assistant county assessor. Hagaman entered politics in 1935, serving as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, a position he held for ten years. He also served as a member of the Kansas State Senate from 1945 to 1949, and was the lieutenant governor of Kansas from 1948 to 1950. On November 28, 1950, Governor Frank Carlson resigned from office, and Hagaman, who was lieutenant governor at the time, assumed the duties of the governorship. He served in this capacity for forty-one days. During his short tenure, he continued to carry out the policies of the former administration. He also supervised the final draft of the new state budget. After leaving office, Hagaman retired from politics. He returned to his successful legal career, in which he tried cases in Missouri, Kansas, and in the U.S. Supreme Court. Governor Frank L. Hagaman died on June 23, 1966, and was buried at the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

Sources:

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.

Kansas State Historical Society

The Political Graveyard