William Washington Howes served under Franklin Delano Roosevelt as Second and First Assistant Postmaster General

United States Postmaster General

The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...

 from 1933 to 1940. Howes brought airmail

Airmail

Airmail is mail that is transported by aircraft. It typically arrives more quickly than surface mail, and usually costs more to send...

 service to the Midwest. The W W Howes Municipal Airport (now known as Huron Regional Airport

Huron Regional Airport

Huron Regional Airport is a public airport located in the city of Huron in Beadle County, South Dakota, USA. The airport covers and has two runways. It is served by one commercial airline, with service subsidized by the Essential Air Service program....

) was named in his honor. It is located in Huron, South Dakota

Huron, South Dakota

Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 12,592 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University since 1897. Huron is also the home of the South Dakota State Fair...

. (Source: Howes' grandson, Dr. Whiting Wicker) Previously, he was was a member of the South Dakota Senate

South Dakota Senate

The Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota State Legislature. It is made up of 35 members, one representing each legislative district, and meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre.-Composition:-Officers:-Members of the 86th Senate:...

, Chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party

South Dakota Democratic Party

The South Dakota Democratic Party is the local branch of the Democratic Party in the state of South Dakota. Jack Billion recently resigned as party chair. Cheryl Chapman is currently serving as interim chair and will be running for the position in April...

 and a member of the Democratic National Committee

Democratic National Committee

The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...

. In 1920, he ran for Governor of South Dakota, losing to William H. McMaster

William H. McMaster

William Henry McMaster was the tenth Governor of South Dakota, serving from 1921 until 1925, and also a United States Senator from that state. He died at the age of 91 in 1968. He was a member of the Republican Party....

.

Howes was born on February 16, 1887 in Tomah, Wisconsin

Tomah, Wisconsin

Tomah is a city in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 9,093. The city is located partially within the Town of Tomah.-Education:...

. He died on January 15, 1962 in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

.