Nathan E. Kendall

Nathan Edward Kendall
23rd Governor of Iowa
In office January 13, 1921 – January 15, 1925
Lieutenant	John Hammill
Preceded by	William L. Harding
Succeeded by	John Hammill
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 6th district
In office March 4, 1909 – March 3, 1913
Preceded by	Daniel W. Hamilton
Succeeded by	Sanford Kirkpatrick
Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives
In office 1907-1909
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
In office 1899–1909
Monroe County Attorney
In office 1893–1897
Albia City Attorney
In office 1890–1892
Personal details
Born	(1868-03-17)March 17, 1868 Greenville, Iowa, U.S.
Died	November 5, 1936(1936-11-05) (aged 68) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Belle Wooden ​ ​ (m. 1896; died 1926)​ Mabel Fry Bonnell ​ (m. 1928)​

Nathan Edward Kendall (March 17, 1868 – November 5, 1936) was an American Republican politician. Kendall was a two-term U.S. Representative from Iowa's 6th congressional district and the 23rd Governor of Iowa.

Background

Born on a farm near Greenville, Iowa, the last of six children of Elijah J. and Lucinda (Stevens) Kendall. His parents were from Indiana and moved to Iowa in 1852. Kendall attended the rural schools until the eighth grade. After moving to Albia, Iowa, he began reading law at age fifteen, working as a stenographer in a law office and was admitted to the bar in May 1889. He commenced practice in Albia in 1889. On April 20, 1896, he married a schoolteacher named Belle Wooden.

Political Career

Local and State Career

He was Albia city attorney from 1890 to 1892, then Monroe County Attorney from 1893 to 1897. In 1899, he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, where he served for ten years and ultimately became Speaker of the House during his last term.

US House

In 1908, Kendall ran as a Republican for the U.S. House seat for Iowa's 6th congressional district, then held by incumbent one-term Democrat Daniel W. Hamilton. Defeating Hamilton in a close race, Kendall served in the 61st Congress, then was re-elected in 1910, serving in the Sixty-second Congress. He won the Republican primary in June 1912 over two challengers, but pulled out of the race in August, after suffering a heart attack. In all, he served in Congress from March 4, 1909 to March 3, 1913. After returning from Washington, he resumed the practice of law in Albia.

Iowa Governorship

In 1920, Kendall was elected Governor of Iowa, defeating Democrat and future Governor Clyde L. Herring. He served two terms, from 1921 to 1925.

During his tenure, the state government was restructured by reorganizing the overlapping state boards, bureaus, and commissions. The Department of Agriculture was also established, removing 5 state boards.

Additionally, security brokers were assessed and required to be licensed, orphaned, handicapped and abused children were given protections and provided for financially and the state’s park and highway systems were expanded.

Kendall's proudest achievement was the $2.25 Million appropriation to fully fund University of Iowa, College of Medicine hospital.

Later Life

In 1930, he gave his private library of 6,500-7,000 volumes to the City of Albia, with funds of $10,0000 to double the capacity of the library.

His wife, Belle, died on March 18, 1926 in Naples, Italy of a stroke while they were on tour of Europe. The Belle Kendall Community Playhouse in Des Moines is named after her, which was made after a gift from Gov. Kendall, following his wife's death.

He married Mabel Fry Bonnell in June 28, 1928 at her parents home in Point Chautauqua, New York. She was the widow of William Bonnell.

He resided in Des Moines, Iowa, until his death on November 5, 1936. His remains were cremated and the ashes interred on the lawn of "Kendall Place," his former home in Albia.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress