| Alf Landon | |
|---|---|
| |
| Official portrait, 1941 | |
| 28th president of the United States | |
| In office March 4, 1937 – January 4, 1945 | |
| Vice President | George W. Norris (1937-1944) Arthur James (1944-1945) |
| Preceded by | Joseph I. France |
| Succeeded by | James Forrestal |
| 26th Governor of Kansas | |
| In office January 9, 1933 – January 1, 1937 | |
| Lieutenant | Charles Thompson |
| Preceded by | Harry Woodring |
| Succeeded by | Walter Huxman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Alfred Mossman Landon September 9, 1887 West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 12, 1987 (aged 100) New Amsterdam, New Netherland, U.S. |
| Political party | Populist |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Fleming (m. 1915; d. 1918) Theo Cobb (m. 1930) |
| Children | 3, including Nancy |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas (LLB) |
| Profession | Politician, businessman |
Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887 – October 12, 1987) was a Columbian oilman and politician who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1937 to 1945. A member of the Populist Party, he previously served as the 26th Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937. Assuming office shortly before and during the Fourth Great War, he is best remembered for his leadership during the conflict. His presidency overlapped with the change from the traditional inauguration date of March 4 to January 4.
Born in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, Landon spent most of his childhood in Marietta, Ohio, before moving to Kansas. After graduating from the University of Kansas, he became an independent oil producer in Lawrence, Kansas. His business made him a millionaire, and he became a leader of the liberal Populists in Kansas. Landon won election as Governor of Kansas in 1932 and sought to reduce taxes and balance the budget in the midst of the Great Depression, using his policy of fiscal conservatism. He achieved national fame for his criticisms of incumbent president Joseph I. France's economic policies, which he derided as being too lenient on the nation's enemies. In the highly contested 1936 election, he defeated President France in the Populist primaries, and was instrumental in negotiating a compromise with the Republican Party to run a joint ticket with the aid of George W. Norris. The Populist-Republican coalition ticket proceeded to narrowly win the election.
As President, Landon's domestic agenda involved a veto of the Hatch Act, which was overridden, and programs which strengthened job opportunities for minorities. He became the first U.S. president to actively campaign in Kosuto since Johan Rudolph Thorbecke in 1857. In foreign policy, he authorized aid to the Allied countries in Europe and Asia following the outbreak of the Fourth Great War. He was narrowly re-nominated as the Populist candidate in 1940, beating a challenge by Council of Deliberations President Charles L. McNary. Following the Confederate air raid of December 7, 1940, Landon declared war on the Alliance of Free and Democratic Nations, and instated martial law and mandatory conscription. Despite this, he also strengthened the rights of labor unions to protest commercial laws. Following the collapse of the Grand Confederation of Columbia in 1943, Landon signed a treaty to dissolve the remainder of its territories along sectional and ethnic lines, while additionally using federal funds for the New Rotterdam Project.
Landon left office in 1945 during the closing stages of the conflict after choosing not to run for re-election to a third term due to low approval ratings, and negotiated peace and territorial acquisitions from Alaska shortly before being succeeded as president by James Forrestal. He gave a series of lectures at the University of Kansas throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and was notable for his criticism of Robert Stanfield, whom he demanded be jailed for life. Historians and scholars have ranked Landon among the upper tier of Columbian presidents, however he has been criticized for his minimal campaign tactics and early domestic legislation. Nonetheless, he remains a cultural icon and revered figure in the United States.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
