Arthur B. Langlie
Encyclopedia
Arthur Bernard Langlie served as the mayor of Seattle, Washington, from 1938 to 1941 and was the 12th and 14th Governor of the U.S. state
of Washington from 1941 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1957.
. His father, Bjarne Langlie, had emigrated from Norway
. His mother, Carrie Dahl, was of Norwegian and Dutch
ancestry. He moved with his family to Washington's Kitsap Peninsula
at the age of nine. Langlie attended Coontz Junior High and graduated from Union High both in Bremerton, Washington
. Langlie graduated from the University of Washington
(law degree. 1925). He then became a senior partner in the law firm of Langlie, Todd, and Nickell.
.
He became the Republican candidate for governor in 1940 and won a narrow victory. He is to date the only former mayor of Seattle to be elected Governor of Washington. At 40, Langlie was the youngest governor in the history of the state until Dan Evans
was elected. Langlie was defeated for re-election in 1944 by Democrat Monrad C. Wallgren, but won the office back by defeating Wallgren in 1948. Arthur B. Langlie was the only Washington governor to regain that office after losing it.
In 1952 he was one of five people on the short list for the Republican vice presidential nomination. Dwight Eisenhower instead chose Richard Nixon
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate
in 1956. Langlie's legacy as Governor included the Washington State Ferries
system inaugurated under his administration, additional road and bridge projects, and some of the first environmental measures adopted in the state of Washington.
Langlie left politics after failing in his 1956 campaign to defeat Democratic U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson
. Los Angeles financier Norton Simon
asked Langlie to take charge of the McCall publishing house that Simon had just acquired. In 1958 Langlie was named as the new president of the McCall Corporation
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington from 1941 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1957.
Background
Langlie was born in Lanesboro, MinnesotaLanesboro, Minnesota
Lanesboro is a city in Fillmore County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 754 at the 2010 census.The town is a popular destination for tourists. The Root River flows through it, with a waterfall on the edge of town. The Root River State Trail and other bike paths also serve the town...
. His father, Bjarne Langlie, had emigrated from Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. His mother, Carrie Dahl, was of Norwegian and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
ancestry. He moved with his family to Washington's Kitsap Peninsula
Kitsap Peninsula
The Kitsap Peninsula is an arm of land that is part of the larger Olympic Peninsula in Washington state that lies west of Seattle across Puget Sound. Hood Canal separates Kitsap Peninsula from the rest of the Olympic Peninsula...
at the age of nine. Langlie attended Coontz Junior High and graduated from Union High both in Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
. Langlie graduated from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
(law degree. 1925). He then became a senior partner in the law firm of Langlie, Todd, and Nickell.
Political career
He practiced law in Seattle for nearly 10 years before winning a Seattle City Council seat in 1935 as a candidate of the conservative and moralistic reform group the New Order of CincinnatusNew Order of Cincinnatus
The New Order of Cincinnatus was a young men's political organization established in Seattle, Washington in the 1930s. The short-lived "conservative and moralistic reform group" was a municipal party that challenged both the Democratic and Republican parties, electing David Lockwood and Frederick G...
.
He became the Republican candidate for governor in 1940 and won a narrow victory. He is to date the only former mayor of Seattle to be elected Governor of Washington. At 40, Langlie was the youngest governor in the history of the state until Dan Evans
Dan Evans
Daniel Evans or Dan Evans may refer to:* Daniel Evans , Welsh poet*Daniel Evans * Dan Evans , American baseball executive, presently with West Coast Sports Management...
was elected. Langlie was defeated for re-election in 1944 by Democrat Monrad C. Wallgren, but won the office back by defeating Wallgren in 1948. Arthur B. Langlie was the only Washington governor to regain that office after losing it.
In 1952 he was one of five people on the short list for the Republican vice presidential nomination. Dwight Eisenhower instead chose Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1956. Langlie's legacy as Governor included the Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries
Washington State Ferries is a passenger and automobile ferry service owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation that serves communities on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. It is the most used ferry system in the world and the largest passenger and automobile...
system inaugurated under his administration, additional road and bridge projects, and some of the first environmental measures adopted in the state of Washington.
Langlie left politics after failing in his 1956 campaign to defeat Democratic U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson
Warren G. Magnuson
Warren Grant "Maggie" Magnuson was a United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member of the body...
. Los Angeles financier Norton Simon
Norton Simon
Norton Winfred Simon , in the United States was a millionaire industrialist and philanthropist based in California. A significant art collector, he is the namesake of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California.-Early life:...
asked Langlie to take charge of the McCall publishing house that Simon had just acquired. In 1958 Langlie was named as the new president of the McCall Corporation
McCall Corporation
McCall Corporation was an American publishing company that produced some popular magazines. These included Redbook for women, Bluebook for men, McCall's, the Saturday Review, and Popular Mechanics...
Other sources
- Scott, George William Arthur B. Langlie; Republican Governor in a Democratic Age (Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Washington. 1971)
External links
- Langlie, Arthur B. at HistoryLink