851:
508:
373:
31:
401:. Teacher's wages were raised statewide, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles was reorganized to hire employees using the state merit system, and a retirement fund for state employees was started. To fund the new initiatives, excise taxes were raised on beer, liquor, and cigarettes. Using his connections in the American Legion, Gates was instrumental in influencing the organization to move its national headquarters from
272:. The couple was married on October 30, 1919, and purchased a home in Columbia City where they lived the rest of their lives. They had two children, Robert and Patricia. Gates' father soon brought him into the family banking business where he served as a manager in the Farmer's Loan and Trust Bank. Gates first held political office in 1920 when he became the attorney for
413:
government influence them. Gates insisted that it was in the best interest of the state to accept the money and build the highways, but legislature failed to act on his recommendation. Jenners had been behind the movement to stop the highway construction bill, and Gates retaliated by planning to block
Jenners from winning the nomination to run for governor in 1948. The
397:. Lilly advised Gates on a number of health care reforms and successfully lobbied Gates to support the construction of three new state-run mental hospital for the insane. The departments of revenue, veterans affairs, and commerce were all created at Gates urging during his term. He also successfully advocated the creation of
220:, Indiana, on February 24, 1893, the first son of Benton E. and Alice Fesler Gates. Gates had three younger brothers; John, Scott, and Benton. His father was a local banker, an attorney, and chaired the county Republican Party for ten years. To earn an income as a boy, Gates delivered newspapers and became acquainted with
412:
Gates' position on highway construction came to be at odds with the more conservative wing of the party. The federal government offered matching funds to the state to build certain highways, but they feared taking the money would be seen as a sign of going back on their promise to not let the federal
296:
Gates continued to grow in popularity and power among the state party. He served again as a delegate to the national conventions in 1936 and in 1940. In 1941 he became the chairman of the state
Republican Party where he immediately set to work to strengthen it and return it to power. He was known as
488:
As a governor, Gates was responsible for helping the state to successfully transition from a war to peace time economy. He is best remembered as an important
Republican Party leader, who rebuilt the party following its near collapse after the KKK scandal in the late 1920s, and his continued role in
417:
prevented governors from serving consecutive terms, barring Gates from running for office again. However, he still controlled the state party and at the state convention in 1948, he was able to unite the three factions opposing
Jenners to deny him the nomination. Jenners, who had a two-hundred vote
385:
over who held the final power to control the state bureaucracy. Gates announced he would focus on three main areas while he served as governor; industrial growth, highway construction, and improved health care. He also urged the legislature to reform state taxes and spending and predicted a fall in
380:
In Gates inaugural address he called on each branch of the government to do its job and not to interfere with the other branches. He promised not to abuse the executive authority, and the speech successfully ended what had become a fifteen-year battle between the legislature, the governor, and the
339:
After the convention Gates returned home where a parade had been organized in his honor in
Columbia City. He launched his campaign after the parade and began traveling around the state to stump. He spent considerable time in traditionally Democratic southern Indiana in hopes that he could win over
480:
enthusiast and collected a large number of books on the subject. After retiring from his law practice he also spent considerable time gardening. He died of natural causes on July 28, 1978. Only a private service was held after his death because of his request for only a simple ceremony where his
450:
in 1952 and was offered the chance to run for Vice
President of the United States, but he declined. The same year party leaders tried to nominate him to run for governor again, but he refused. Although he never ran for office again, his support and backing proved critical to Republicans for many
284:
With the onset of the Great
Depression in 1929, the family bank entered a period of financial difficulty. Gates and his brothers were able to successfully meet with each of the banks depositors and convince them to sign non-withdrawal pledges. Thanks to their cooperation, the family was able to
280:
dominated the state government during the 1920s and Gates, thanks to his father's advice, was among the few office holders in his region who did not become involved with the secret organization. The Klan was exposed in a scandal in 1927 that led to a near collapse of the state
Republican Party.
340:
their support. In all of his speeches he used the term "a local problem can best be solved by local government." He also continued to charge that leadership of the state had been abandoned to federal government and that
Republicans could remedy the situation. Gates and his Democratic opponent,
297:
a "master politician" and soon began to cull from the party leadership the last vestiges of the old progressive movement and those willing to compromise with the
Democrats. He personally oversaw the reorganization of each county party in the state on the model of the Whitely County party.
326:
respectively. The three men were deeply conservative, but Jenners was the most "rigidly ideological" of the three, leading to growing differences between him and Gates. Jenners gave the keynote address at the convention which set the tone for the campaign. He attacked President
357:
243:
in September 1917. He was mustered in as an ensign and assigned to the Pay Corps, which was responsible to managing the payroll of the navy. In December he was promoted to lieutenant and transferred overseas to work in the War Risk Insurance Bureau based in
335:
war effort. Gates supported Jenners' position, and in his speech attacked the state Democratic Party, calling them puppets of the Roosevelt administration claiming they took their orders from Washington and not citizens of Indiana.
344:, did not hold any debates or travel to make joint appearances. The Republican party platform paid off and Gates defeated Jackson by more than 46,000 votes. Republicans also took a large two-thirds majorities in both houses of the
475:
Gates and his wife remained living in their Columbia City home, the same he had purchased in 1919. They also purchased a cottage on Crooked Lake just outside the town where they spent considerable time in the summer. He became an
202:
ended through the improvement of the state highway system, education reform, and offering incentives for industrial growth. After leaving office he remained active as a leader in the state Republican Party until his death.
701:
544:
495:
A public dedication of an Indiana state historical marker commemorating Governor Ralph Fesler Gates was held on July 2, 2013, at 1:15 pm on the Whitley County Courthouse north lawn in Columbia City, Indiana.
289:. In 1928 he succeeded his father as the chairman of the Whitley County Republican Party and served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1931 Gates became the Indiana commander of the
455:
was among the last men he helped secure the party's Senate nomination for. He continued offering political advice until 1976 when told a reporter that the national party made a mistake in choosing
331:
and the national Democratic Party for their failures during the Great Depression and their domination of both the state and federal government, but urged the party to support the ongoing
248:
where he was employed to sell bonds to insure government war assets. He personally sold over $ 1 million in bonds, almost entirely to naval personnel. In April 1919 he was transferred to
485:" was played. Indiana State Road 205, which runs from Garrett, through Churubusco and Columbia City, before ending in South Whitley, is called the Ralph F. Gates Memorial Highway.
310:
In 1944 Gates used his influence to secure a unanimous nomination at the state convention to run for Governor of Indiana. At the same convention, by Gates' design,
492:
The Ralph F. Gates Nature Preserve at Crooked Lake near the Whitley - Noble county line was given to ACRES Land Trust, Inc. in 1977 by Phil and Patricia McNagny.
276:. He became the town attorney for South Whitley in 1922, a position he held until 1944. He also served as attorney for Columbia City from 1927 through 1929. The
252:
where he was placed in command of an airbase that was being constructed. The base was finished just as the war ended and Gates was offered a position in the
442:
When Gates left office he resumed his duties as chairman of the state party, and also served at different times in the national party as a member of the
429:. He promoted the cause of establishing the park even after leaving office. In 1960, when the park was established, Gates spoke at the opening ceremony.
1173:
1163:
801:
1188:
1193:
422:
736:
225:
895:
794:
680:
727:
406:
136:
1168:
834:
630:
293:. The position led him to travel around the state and meet with many state leaders as he lobbied for veterans.
61:
1178:
787:
443:
319:
696:
1183:
810:
761:
521:
172:
264:
After he returned to Indiana, he began practicing law in his father's firm. He soon met Helene Edwards of
228:. Gates attended public school in Columbia City and graduated from high school in 1911. He attended the
361:
194:
scandal in the late 1920s that led to years of Democratic dominance of the state government during the
482:
345:
1105:
706:
414:
273:
829:
265:
229:
217:
156:
107:
426:
394:
382:
1158:
1153:
1040:
1020:
970:
323:
8:
1133:
945:
731:
390:
175:
43:
1055:
1045:
1000:
990:
771:
477:
328:
240:
221:
86:
1100:
1075:
1065:
1025:
1010:
1005:
950:
920:
880:
870:
818:
676:
398:
341:
315:
311:
1070:
1015:
960:
935:
925:
915:
910:
631:"William S. Grawcock was essential to the creation of the Chain-O-Lakes State Park"
402:
195:
1060:
1030:
980:
669:
365:
290:
269:
171:(February 24, 1893 - July 28, 1978) was an American politician who served as the
1080:
1035:
985:
905:
513:
447:
1147:
1110:
1090:
975:
965:
955:
930:
900:
460:
452:
372:
1120:
940:
885:
875:
840:
464:
332:
277:
199:
191:
995:
456:
236:
198:. His term in office focused primarily on encouraging economic growth as
187:
1115:
1085:
890:
779:
179:
151:
285:
preserve the bank and made it one of the few in the region to avoid a
30:
1095:
232:
where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1915 and law degree in 1917.
286:
859:
666:
256:
relief effort, but he turned down the offer so he could go home.
253:
245:
183:
111:
418:
lead in the first ballot, was outraged and never forgave Gates.
249:
356:
190:, he is credited with returning his party to power after the
675:. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Society Press.
364:, made available by Gates as a new headquarters for the
405:, to Indianapolis and providing it office space in the
467:
was "well intentioned, but had no grasp of politics."
503:
668:
667:Gugin, Linda C.; St. Clair, James E, eds. (2006).
697:Indiana Historical Bureau: Biography and portrait
409:building which was expanded to accommodate them.
1145:
421:Gates played a key role in the establishment of
795:
463:for the 1976 president nomination, and that
351:
186:from 1945 to 1949. A lawyer and veteran of
56:January 8, 1945 – January 10, 1949
802:
788:
29:
259:
1174:University of Michigan Law School alumni
809:
371:
355:
211:
1146:
650:
648:
616:
614:
612:
602:
600:
598:
588:
586:
584:
582:
580:
570:
568:
558:
556:
554:
552:
538:
489:the party after his time as governor.
1164:Republican Party governors of Indiana
783:
451:years in gaining party nominations.
766:January 8, 1945 - January 10, 1949
645:
609:
595:
577:
565:
549:
470:
226:Vice President of the United States
13:
1189:People from Columbia City, Indiana
633:. The Commercial-Mail. Jun 7, 1960
14:
1205:
1194:20th-century American politicians
690:
849:
506:
235:After the United States entered
437:
386:tax revenues as the war ended.
702:National Governors Association
623:
318:were nominated to run for the
1:
527:
444:Republican National Committee
432:
320:U.S. House of Representatives
206:
522:List of governors of Indiana
268:, a local school teacher in
128:Columbia City, Indiana, U.S.
7:
499:
305:
300:
10:
1210:
1131:
389:Gates became friends with
362:Indiana World War Memorial
1129:
858:
847:
817:
768:
759:
753:
748:
740:
725:
719:
714:
707:Ralph Gates at FindAGrave
483:Onward Christian Soldiers
352:Promoting economic growth
162:
150:
142:
132:
118:
101:
96:
92:
80:
70:
60:
49:
41:
37:
28:
21:
715:Party political offices
671:The Governors of Indiana
423:Chain O'Lakes State Park
346:Indiana General Assembly
239:, Gates enlisted in the
216:Ralph Gates was born in
415:Constitution of Indiana
1169:American Presbyterians
377:
369:
260:Early political career
230:University of Michigan
157:University of Michigan
395:Eli Lilly and Company
383:Indiana Supreme Court
375:
359:
212:Family and background
1179:Governors of Indiana
811:Governors of Indiana
324:United States Senate
1184:Indiana Republicans
1134:Governor of Indiana
762:Governor of Indiana
732:Governor of Indiana
391:Josiah K. Lilly Jr.
224:, who later became
44:Governor of Indiana
16:American politician
772:Henry F. Schricker
756:Henry F. Schricker
749:Political offices
478:American Civil War
407:World War Memorial
378:
376:Portrait of Gates.
370:
329:Franklin Roosevelt
241:United States Navy
222:Thomas R. Marshall
169:Ralph Fesler Gates
87:Henry F. Schricker
76:Henry F. Schricker
23:Ralph Fesler Gates
1141:
1140:
821:(1800–1816)
778:
777:
769:Succeeded by
741:Succeeded by
399:Shades State Park
393:the President of
342:Samuel D. Jackson
316:William E. Jenner
312:Homer E. Capehart
166:
165:
105:February 24, 1893
1201:
863:
853:
852:
822:
804:
797:
790:
781:
780:
754:Preceded by
743:Hobart Creighton
720:Preceded by
712:
711:
686:
674:
655:
652:
643:
642:
640:
638:
627:
621:
618:
607:
604:
593:
590:
575:
572:
563:
560:
547:
542:
516:
511:
510:
509:
481:favorite song, "
471:Death and legacy
403:Washington, D.C.
196:Great Depression
125:
97:Personal details
83:
73:
66:Richard T. James
54:
33:
19:
18:
1209:
1208:
1204:
1203:
1202:
1200:
1199:
1198:
1144:
1143:
1142:
1137:
1136:
1125:
861:
854:
850:
845:
820:
813:
808:
774:
765:
757:
744:
735:
723:
722:Glenn R. Hillis
693:
683:
658:
653:
646:
636:
634:
629:
628:
624:
619:
610:
605:
596:
591:
578:
573:
566:
561:
550:
543:
539:
530:
512:
507:
505:
502:
473:
440:
435:
366:American Legion
354:
308:
303:
291:American Legion
262:
214:
209:
133:Political party
127:
123:
106:
81:
71:
55:
50:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1207:
1197:
1196:
1191:
1186:
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1139:
1138:
1130:
1127:
1126:
1124:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1093:
1088:
1083:
1078:
1073:
1068:
1063:
1058:
1053:
1048:
1043:
1038:
1033:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
963:
958:
953:
948:
943:
938:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
867:
865:
856:
855:
848:
846:
844:
843:
838:
832:
826:
824:
815:
814:
807:
806:
799:
792:
784:
776:
775:
770:
767:
758:
755:
751:
750:
746:
745:
742:
739:
724:
721:
717:
716:
710:
709:
704:
699:
692:
691:External links
689:
688:
687:
681:
657:
656:
644:
622:
608:
594:
576:
564:
548:
536:
529:
526:
525:
524:
518:
517:
514:Indiana portal
501:
498:
472:
469:
448:Robert A. Taft
446:. He met with
439:
436:
434:
431:
353:
350:
307:
304:
302:
299:
274:Whitley County
261:
258:
213:
210:
208:
205:
164:
163:
160:
159:
154:
148:
147:
146:Helene Edwards
144:
140:
139:
134:
130:
129:
126:(aged 85)
120:
116:
115:
103:
99:
98:
94:
93:
90:
89:
84:
78:
77:
74:
68:
67:
64:
58:
57:
47:
46:
39:
38:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1206:
1195:
1192:
1190:
1187:
1185:
1182:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1152:
1151:
1149:
1135:
1128:
1122:
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1109:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1092:
1089:
1087:
1084:
1082:
1079:
1077:
1074:
1072:
1069:
1067:
1064:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1054:
1052:
1049:
1047:
1044:
1042:
1039:
1037:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
868:
866:
864:
857:
842:
839:
836:
833:
831:
828:
827:
825:
823:
816:
812:
805:
800:
798:
793:
791:
786:
785:
782:
773:
764:
763:
752:
747:
738:
734:
733:
729:
718:
713:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
694:
684:
682:0-87195-196-7
678:
673:
672:
665:
664:
663:
662:
654:Gugin, p. 321
651:
649:
632:
626:
620:Gugin, p. 320
617:
615:
613:
606:Gugin, p. 319
603:
601:
599:
592:Gugin, p. 318
589:
587:
585:
583:
581:
574:Gugin, p. 317
571:
569:
562:Gugin, p. 316
559:
557:
555:
553:
546:
541:
537:
535:
534:
523:
520:
519:
515:
504:
497:
493:
490:
486:
484:
479:
468:
466:
462:
461:Ronald Reagan
458:
454:
453:Richard Lugar
449:
445:
430:
428:
424:
419:
416:
410:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
387:
384:
374:
367:
363:
358:
349:
347:
343:
337:
334:
330:
325:
321:
317:
313:
298:
294:
292:
288:
282:
279:
275:
271:
267:
266:South Whitley
257:
255:
251:
247:
242:
238:
233:
231:
227:
223:
219:
218:Columbia City
204:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
174:
170:
161:
158:
155:
153:
149:
145:
141:
138:
135:
131:
122:July 28, 1978
121:
117:
113:
109:
108:Columbia City
104:
100:
95:
91:
88:
85:
79:
75:
69:
65:
63:
59:
53:
48:
45:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
1050:
946:T. Hendricks
881:W. Hendricks
862:(since 1816)
819:Territorial
760:
730:nominee for
726:
670:
661:Bibliography
660:
659:
635:. Retrieved
625:
540:
532:
531:
494:
491:
487:
474:
465:Jimmy Carter
441:
438:Party leader
427:Noble County
420:
411:
388:
379:
338:
333:World War II
309:
295:
283:
278:Ku Klux Klan
263:
234:
215:
200:World War II
192:Ku Klux Klan
168:
167:
124:(1978-07-28)
82:Succeeded by
51:
1159:1978 deaths
1154:1893 births
1081:E. Whitcomb
906:J. Whitcomb
457:Gerald Ford
237:World War I
188:World War I
72:Preceded by
1148:Categories
1132:See also:
728:Republican
528:References
433:Later life
207:Early life
180:U.S. state
152:Alma mater
137:Republican
62:Lieutenant
1056:Schricker
1046:Schricker
52:In office
42:37th
1101:O'Bannon
1076:Branigin
1041:Townsend
1011:Goodrich
1001:Marshall
981:Matthews
951:Williams
871:Jennings
837:(acting)
830:Harrison
500:See also
322:and the
306:Campaign
301:Governor
287:bank run
176:governor
1121:Holcomb
1111:Daniels
1066:Handley
1026:Jackson
1006:Ralston
926:Hammond
921:Willard
911:Dunning
896:Wallace
637:Jan 20,
545:NGA Bio
254:Belgian
246:Ireland
184:Indiana
178:of the
112:Indiana
1106:Kernan
1036:McNutt
1031:Leslie
1021:Branch
1016:McCray
991:Durbin
961:Porter
936:Morton
916:Wright
901:Bigger
860:State
835:Gibson
679:
270:Muncie
250:France
143:Spouse
114:, U.S.
1116:Pence
1086:Bowen
1071:Welsh
1061:Craig
1051:Gates
996:Hanly
986:Mount
976:Chase
971:Hovey
941:Baker
891:Noble
841:Posey
533:Notes
459:over
1096:Bayh
966:Gray
956:Gray
931:Lane
876:Boon
737:1944
677:ISBN
639:2022
360:The
314:and
173:37th
119:Died
102:Born
1091:Orr
886:Ray
425:in
182:of
1150::
647:^
611:^
597:^
579:^
567:^
551:^
348:.
110:,
803:e
796:t
789:v
685:.
641:.
368:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.