Ohio
Gov. Frank John Lausche
-
January 8, 1945 - January 13, 1947
January 10, 1949 - January 3, 1957 - Democratic
- November 14, 1895
- April 21, 1990
- Ohio
- John Marshall School of Law
- Married Jane Sheal
- Resigned, NGA Chair
- Senator
- Army
About
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, FRANK JOHN LAUSCHE graduated from John Marshall School of Law in 1920 and played semi-professional baseball. He joined the Army in 1918 as a private and was discharged as a Second Lieutenant at the end of World War I. He was defeated for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1922 and for a seat in the Ohio Senate in 1924. He went on to be appointed and then elected Judge of the Municipal Court, on which he served from 1932 until 1937, after which he was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas before running successfully for Mayor of Cleveland. He served as Mayor from 1941 until 1944, when he won election as governor. Although he was defeated for reelection in 1946, he became a gubernatorial candidate once again two years later, winning election to four more consecutive terms. When he became governor, Lausche vetoed raises for himself and for civil service employees while expanding Ohio’s welfare system. Among his many accomplishments during five terms as governor was the development of a program for the conservation and preservation of Ohio’s natural resources, which included legislation requiring strip-mine operators to reclaim spoil banks. Lausche also organized and supervised a statewide civil defense organization and oversaw the development and construction of the Ohio Turnpike and the creation of a state Board of Education. And he served as Chair of the National Governors Association. During his governorship, the Ohio Constitution was amended to extend gubernatorial terms from two years to four. Lausche went on to win a seat in the U.S. Senate, which he held until he was opposed for reelection by the Democratic Central Committee in 1968 because of his conservative voting record, resulting in his loss in the Democratic primary.
Source
Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 3. Westport, CT: Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.
Who was Who in America, Vol. X. New Providence, NJ: Marquis Who’s Who, 1993.
