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Beryl F. Carroll

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Beryl F. Carroll
Carroll in 1912
20th Governor of Iowa
In office
January 14, 1909 – January 16, 1913
LieutenantGeorge W. Clarke
Preceded byWarren Garst
Succeeded byGeorge W. Clarke
18th Iowa State Auditor
In office
1903–1909
GovernorAlbert B. Cummins
Preceded byFrank Merriam
Succeeded byJohn L. Bleakly
Postmaster of Bloomfield, Iowa
In office
1898–1903
Preceded byA. H. Fortune
Member of the Iowa Senate
from the 3rd district
In office
January 13, 1896 – January 7, 1900
Preceded byEphraim M. Reynolds
Succeeded byClaude R. Porter
Personal details
Born(1860-03-15)March 15, 1860
Davis County, Iowa, US
DiedDecember 16, 1939(1939-12-16) (aged 79)
Bloomfield, Iowa, US
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJennie Dodson (m.1886)
Children2

Beryl Franklin Carroll (March 15, 1860 – December 16, 1939) was the 20th governor of Iowa from 1909 to 1913. He was the first native-born governor of Iowa.

Early Life

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Carroll was born in Davis County, Iowa, the second youngest of 13 to Willis and Christena Carroll.[1][2] He graduated from the Missouri State Normal School in 1884, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Education.[1][2] He would spend the next 5 years teaching, first as a principal in Jamesport, Missouri then as superintendent in Rich Hill, Missouri.[1]

On June 15, 1886, he married his fellow Truman State student Jennie Dodson.[1] They had a son, Paul, born in 1889, and daughter, Jean, born in 1900.[1]

On January 1, 1891, he bought half of the Davis County Republican, co-owning it with A. H. Fortune, the postmaster of Bloomfield at the time.[1][2] In 1893, he bought out the full interest of the newspaper.[1]

Political Career

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He was a member of the Iowa Senate (1896–1900), Postmaster of Bloomfield, Iowa (1898–1903), and Iowa State Auditor (1903–1909).[1][2] He was elected Governor in 1908 and reelected in 1910.[1][2]

During his tenure, Carroll established the State Board of Education, helped in getting firefighters and police officers a pension plan and advocating for miners.[2]

On November 30, 1910, Governor Carroll was hailed as a hero for entering a burning building in Des Moines and retrieving a trunk containing valuable property.[3]

Later Life

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After leaving office, Carroll worked in the life insurance business in Des Moines.[2] He died in Bloomfield, and was buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Bloomfield.[2][4]

His nephew, Herbert Carroll, was also an Senator from Iowa's 3rd Senate district from 1931 to 1933.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Beryl F. Carroll Davis County". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Gov. Beryl Franklin Carroll". National Governors Association. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  3. ^ "Gov. Carroll A Fire Hero. Plunges Into Burning House and Rescues a Woman's Trunk". The New York Times. December 1, 1910. Retrieved 2008-08-10.
  4. ^ "Senator Beryl F. Carroll". Iowa General Assembly. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
[edit]
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee Governor of Iowa
1908, 1910
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by State Auditor of Iowa
1903–1909
Succeeded by
John L. Bleakly
Preceded by Governor of Iowa
1909–1913
Succeeded by