William S. Beardsley
Bill Beardsley | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 31st Governor of Iowa | |
| In office January 13, 1949 – November 21, 1954 | |
| Lieutenant | Kenneth A. Evans (1949–1951) William H. Nicholas (1951–1953) Leo Elthon (1953–1954) |
| Preceded by | Robert D. Blue |
| Succeeded by | Leo Elthon |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 27th district | |
| In office January 13, 1947 – January 9, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | Howard E. Felton |
| Member of the Iowa Senate from the 11th district | |
| In office January 9, 1933 – January 12, 1941 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 13, 1901 Beacon, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | November 21, 1954 (aged 53) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Charlotte E. Manning
(m. 1919) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Bowen Institute of Pharmacy and Chemistry (PharmD) |
William Shane Beardsley (May 13, 1901 – November 21, 1954) was an American politician. He served in the Iowa Senate from 1933 to 1941, and was a member of the Iowa House of Representatives between 1947 and 1949. Beardsley was the 31st Governor of Iowa from 1949 to 1954.[1][2][3]
Early life
[edit]Beardsley was born in Beacon, Iowa to William Beardsley, a pharmacist and Carrie Shane, and grew up in Birmingham, Iowa.[1][2] He worked in his father's pharmacy after school until his father died in 1914.[3]
He attended pharmacy school at Bowen Institute of Pharmacy and Chemistry in Brunswick, Missouri and graduated in 1921.[1][3] He then established a drugstore in New Virginia, Iowa in 1922.[1][3]
He attended Methodist Church.[2] In June 1919, he married Charlotte Ellen Manning and had 5 children.[2] One son, William Shane Beardsley Jr., died of Polio in 1930 at age 11.
Political career
[edit]State Senate and House
[edit]He was elected to the Iowa Senate, and served from 1933 to 1941.[1][3] In 1941, he retired from politics and he raised cattle and hogs on his farm in New Virginia and focused on his drugstore.[3]
He was appointed to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1947 to fill the term of Harold Felton, who had died of a heart attack in December 1946.[1][3] He became a prominent opponent of the labor and education policies of Governor Robert D. Blue, a fellow Republican.[2]
Governorship
[edit]In June 1948, Beardsley successfully challenged Blue in the Republican primary, and went on to an easy victory in the general election.[1][2][3]
Beardsley was known for his advocacy of a balanced state budget, and his opposition to the Truman administration's Brannan Plan. He was reelected in 1950[1][2] and 1952,[1][2] but chose not to run for a fourth term in 1954. During his tenure the following notable accomplishments were achieved: workmen's compensation benefits were increased; the highway patrol was expanded; anti-gambling laws were sanctioned; roads, schools, and institutions were all advanced; and a World War II veteran's bonus was authorized.
Death
[edit]On November 21, 1954, Beardsley was killed in a highway accident, where he came over a hill and hit the back end of a pickup truck that had slowed to help another motorist, on Iowa 60 just north of Des Moines.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] He was returning, with his wife, from a visit to his son, Dan, a student at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Unfortunately, Dan was at the movies and did not get to visit with his parents.[5][6] Dan heard about his father's death on the radio.[5][6] Charlotte had been injured to the point of partial paralysis.[8]
President Eisenhower released a statement the next day saying:
I WAS SHOCKED to hear of the tragic accident which took the life of Governor William S. Beardsley of the State of Iowa. The people of Iowa have lost a devoted public servant whom they elected three times as Chief Executive of their State. Mrs. Eisenhower and I extend to Mrs. Beardsley our deep sympathy in the great personal loss she has sustained.[9]
He was interred at the New Virginia Cemetery in New Virginia, Iowa.[1][3][6]
Charlotte died in 1995 of a heart issue in Des Moines, aged 93.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Governor William Shane Beardsley". National Governors Association. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Robert D. Blue Wright County". Iowa State Senate. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "THE BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY OF IOWA University of Iowa Press Digital Editions Beardsley, William Shane". University of Iowa. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ a b "Rites for Gov. Beardsley". The Gazette. November 22, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Accident occurs near Des Moines". The Daily Nonpareil. November 23, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Iowa Chief Executive Dies as Car Strikes Truck Sunday Night". Iowa City Press-Citizen. November 22, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "First to Die as Governor". The Des Moines Register. November 22, 1954. p. 1. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ "Former First Lady Proud of her roots". The Des Moines Register. April 7, 1983. p. 89. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ "Statement by the President on the Death of Governor William S. Beardsley of Iowa". University of California, Santa Barbara. November 22, 1954. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
- ^ "Former Governor's wife dies at age 93". The Des Moines Register. May 12, 1995. p. 23. Retrieved May 9, 2025.
| Territorial (1838–1846) | ||
|---|---|---|
| State (since 1846) |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
- 1901 births
- 1954 deaths
- Pharmacists from Iowa
- 20th-century American pharmacists
- Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives
- Republican Party Iowa state senators
- Republican Party governors of Iowa
- Road incident deaths in Iowa
- People from Mahaska County, Iowa
- People from Birmingham, Iowa
- People from Warren County, Iowa
- 20th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly