Dayton Wendell Countryman (March 31, 1918 – September 13, 2011) was an American attorney, farmer, and politician who served as the 26th

Attorney General of Iowa The Attorney General of Iowa is the chief legal officer of the State of Iowa, United States. The office was created February 9, 1853. The Office of the Attorney General is housed in the Lucas State Office Building in Des Moines; the attorney gen ...

from 1955 to 1957.

Early life and education

Born in

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury County, Iowa, Woodbury and Plymouth County, Iowa, Plymouth counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Iowa, fo ...

, Countryman attended Pierson High School. He then received his bachelor's degree in forestry from

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

in 1940. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Countryman served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

as a pilot and was commissioned lieutenant colonel. He then graduated from the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. History The law school was founded in 1865 by George Grover Wright and Chester C. Cole as an independent la ...

in 1948 and was admitted to the Iowa bar.

Career

Countryman practiced law in

Nevada, Iowa Nevada ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of Story County, Iowa, United States. The population was 6,925 in the 2020 census, an increase from 6,658 in 2000. Nevada is part of the Ames, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a part of ...

. From 1950 to 1954, Countryman served as attorney for

Story County, Iowa Story County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 98,537, making it the ninth-most populous county in Iowa. The county seat is Nevada, Iowa, Nevada; ...

as a member of the Republican party. From 1955 to 1957, Countryman served as

. In 1956, 1960, and 1968, Countryman unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

. He continued to practice law in Nevada, Iowa and also managed his farms.

Death

Countryman died in

Ames, Iowa Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines in central Iowa. It is the home of Iowa State University (ISU). According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Ames ha ...

, from complications of Alzheimer's disease.'Dayton Countryman-obituary,' ''Sioux City Journal,'' September 16, 2011

Notes

1918 births 2011 deaths Politicians from Sioux City, Iowa People from Nevada, Iowa Military personnel from Iowa United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II Iowa State University alumni University of Iowa College of Law alumni Farmers from Iowa Iowa lawyers Iowa Republicans Iowa attorneys general 20th-century American lawyers United States Army Air Forces officers {{Iowa-politician-stub