Frank Collins Emerson
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Frank Collins Emerson (May 26, 1882February 18, 1931) was an American engineer and politician who served as the 15th
governor of Wyoming A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the type of political region or polity, a ''governor'' ma ...
from 1927 until his death in 1931.


Biography

Frank C. Emerson was born in
Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in Saginaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. It had a population of 44,202 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located along the Saginaw River, Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township, ...
on May 26, 1882. He graduated from the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
in 1904 with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in
Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...
. After graduating from college, Emerson relocated to
Cora, Wyoming Cora is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sublette County, Wyoming, Sublette County, Wyoming. The population was 114 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Cora may have been named after Cora House, a cowgirl who lived in the ar ...
, where he became chief engineer of the Wyoming Land and Irrigation Company. He later worked for other corporations, including the Big Horn Canal Association, Lower Hanover Canal Association, Wyoming Sugar Company, and Worland Drainage District. From 1919 to 1926, Emerson served as Wyoming State Engineer. In this post, Emerson was one of the main proponents of the
Colorado River Compact The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement that regulates water distribution among seven states in the Southwestern United States. The contract is about the area within the drainage basin of the Colorado River. The agreement, originally pr ...
. In 1923, Governor William B. Ross removed Emerson from the state engineer's post. Emerson sued, and after a 10-month court fight he was reinstated. Ross died in late 1924 and was succeeded first by
Frank Lucas Frank Lucas (September 9, 1930 – May 30, 2019) was an American drug lord who operated in Harlem, New York City, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade and buying heroin directly from hi ...
, then by Ross's widow
Nellie Tayloe Ross Nellie Davis Ross (née Tayloe; November 29, 1876 – December 19, 1977) was an American educator and politician who served as the 14th governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927, and as the 28th and first female director of the United States Mint fr ...
, who won the 1924 special election to complete her husband's term and became the first woman governor in the United States. In 1926, Emerson won the Republican nomination for governor and he defeated Nellie Ross in the general election. He was reelected in 1930, and served from January 1927 until his death from pneumonia in
Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne ( or ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Wyoming, most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is the county seat of Laramie County, Wyoming, Laramie County, with 65,132 reside ...
on February 18, 1931. He was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Cheyenne. Emerson was married to Zennia Jean Reynders. They were the parents of three children.


References


External links


Frank C. Emerson papers
at the
American Heritage Center The American Heritage Center is the University of Wyoming's repository of manuscripts, rare books, and the university archives. Its collections focus on Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain West (including politics, settlement, Native Americans, and W ...

Frank C. Emerson
at Wyoming Archives {{DEFAULTSORT:Emerson, Frank 1882 births 1931 deaths 20th-century American engineers Republican Party governors of Wyoming Politicians from Saginaw, Michigan University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni 20th-century Wyoming politicians