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Nelson G. Kraschel

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Nelson George Kraschel
27th Governor of Iowa
In office
January 14, 1937 – January 12, 1939
LieutenantJohn K. Valentine
Preceded byClyde L. Herring
Succeeded byGeorge A. Wilson
Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
In office
January 12, 1933 – January 14, 1937
GovernorClyde L. Herring
Preceded byArch W. McFarlane
Succeeded byJohn K. Valentine
Personal details
Born(1889-10-27)October 27, 1889
Macon, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMarch 15, 1957(1957-03-15) (aged 67)
Harlan, Iowa, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAgnes Johnson
Children4

Nelson George Kraschel (October 27, 1889 – March 15, 1957) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 27th Governor of Iowa from 1937 to 1939.[1][2][3]

Early Life

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He was born on a farm near Macon, Illinois, in 1889, the son of Fred K. Kraschel and Nancy Jane (Poe) Kraschel.[1][2][3] He farmed from 1906 to 1909, then moved to Harlan in 1910 to become an auctioneer.[3] He farmed and raised livestock.[1][2][3] From 1910 to 1930 Kraschel was a livestock auctioneer.[1][2][3]

In 1913, he married schoolteacher Agnes Johnson.[3] They had three sons and adopted a daughter.[3]

Political Career

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Early Campaigns

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In 1922, Kraschel ran for state senate and lost.[3]

In 1932, he lost the primary for the US Senate.[3][4]

Lieutenant Governor of iowa

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In 1932, he was the Democratic Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa as Clyde L. Herring's running mate.[1][2][3] He won the election and was re-elected in 1934.[1][2][3]

Governor of Iowa

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He was elected governor in 1936, by less than 2,431 votes.[3][5] He was the 27th Governor of Iowa from 1937 to 1939.[1][2][3]

As governor, Kraschel oversaw the institute of a new social welfare board and he vetoed a farm to market road bill.[1][3]

Kraschel helped to get passed the Homestead Tax Exemption Act, which reduced taxes on citizens by up to $2500.[3] In January 1937, attempted to extend farm debt moratoriums to save farmer's houses due to drought. But the state legislature rejected the extension, letting the previous law expire.[3]

In 1938 Kraschel faced George A. Wilson. He lost by 59,282 votes.[3][6]

In 1942, he made another, and final, unsuccessful bid for governor.[3][7]

Maytag Strike

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On July 21, 1938, Kraschel sent the Iowa National Guard to assist at the Maytag Plant in Newton, Iowa, to resolve a labor strike.[3][8] He declared martial law, saying it was ""only for the benefit of the public".[9] Major General Matthew Tinley played a pivotal role in ending the strike, which ended with the return of workers after negotiations about a wage cut.[9][10] The national guard also had sharpshooters on rooftops to help, armed with "bayoneted rifles, tommy submachine guns, tear gas weapons, and automatic pistols".[9][10] The national guard left August 3rd.[8]

Kraschel was involved in political campaigns, such as the Guy Gillette vs. Otha Wearin senatorial contest.

Later life

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During World War II.[3] His son, Richard, died when his plane malfunctioned and he jumped out and his parachute failed to launch over Niagara Falls, New York in May 1943[11][12][13] and his other son, Sergeant James Kraschel, died at Okinawa, Japan in a plane crash in September 1945.[14][15][16] They had a third son, Major Frederick Kraschel, who served and survived World War II, passing away in 2000.

Kraschel died in Harlan, Iowa of a heart attack, in 1957 and he was buried in the Harlan Cemetery in Harlan, Iowa.[1][2] His wife, Agnes, died in 1983, aged 97, in Harlan, and was buried next to her husband and sons.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Governor Nelson George Kraschel". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Nelson G. Kraschel". Iowa State House of Representatives. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IOWA University of Iowa Press Digital Editions Kraschel, Nelson George". University of Iowa. Retrieved May 2, 2025.
  4. ^ Iowa Official Register, 1933–34. pp. 146–47.
  5. ^ "Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of Iowa. 1936. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  6. ^ "Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of Iowa. 1938. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  7. ^ "Summary of Official Canvass of Votes Cast in Iowa General Election" (PDF). Secretary of State of Iowa. 1942. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Mullenbach, Cheryl (November 21, 2015). "The 1938 Maytag Strike". investigatemidwest. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "1938 Maytag strike". libcom.org. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "From the Archives: Defending the Right to Strike". ACLU. January 13, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  11. ^ "Obituary for Richard Kraschel". The Rock Island Argus. May 31, 1943. p. 8. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ "Obituary for Richard Kraschel". Quad-City Times. May 30, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  13. ^ "Obituary for Richard Kraschel". The Gazette. May 30, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^ "Obituary for James Kraschel". York News Times. October 11, 1945. p. 6. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ "Obituary for James Kraschel". Globe-Gazette. October 24, 1945. p. 14. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  16. ^ "Obituary for James Kraschel". The Mount Pleasant News. October 11, 1945. p. 1. Retrieved May 2, 2025 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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  • Nelson G. Kraschel Papers are housed at the University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections & Archives.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Iowa
1936, 1938
Succeeded by
Preceded by
John K. Valentine
Democratic nominee for Governor of Iowa
1942
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Iowa
1933–1937
Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Iowa
January 14, 1937 – January 12, 1939
Succeeded by