John McCuish
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John Berridge McCuish (June 22, 1906 – March 12, 1962) was the 34th governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, McCuish is best known for his 11-day tenure as Kansas' governor, during which he appointed his immediate predecessor to the
Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as t ...
. The episode, dubbed the "Triple Play of 1956", spurred legislation designed to prevent it from happening again.


Biography

McCuish was born in
Leadville, Colorado Leadville ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only List of municipalities in Colorado, incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorado, Lak ...
, and attended
Kemper Military School Kemper Military School & College was a private military school located in Boonville, Missouri. Founded in 1844, Kemper filed for bankruptcy and closed in 2002. The school's motto was "Nunquam Non Paratus" (Never Not Prepared). The 46-acre camp ...
in
Boonville, Missouri Boonville is a city and the county seat of Cooper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,964 at the 2020 census. The city was the site of a skirmish early in the American Civil War, Civil War, on July 17, 1861. Union forces defeat ...
, before graduating from
Washburn University Washburn University (WU), formally Washburn University of Topeka, is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs as well as professional programs in law and business. The university enroll ...
in
Topeka, Kansas Topeka ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 cen ...
, in 1925. He married Cora E. Hedrick on September 9, 1925.


Career

McCuish began his journalism career as a newspaper-advertising salesman. He became owner and editor of the ''Hillsboro Star'' and returned to
Newton, Kansas Newton is a city in and the county seat of Harvey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 18,602. Newton is located north of Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. The city of North ...
, and owned and edited the ''Harvey County News'' from 1930 to 1958. He was a delegate to the
Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...
in 1936. McCuish entered the U.S. Army to serve in World War II as a private and participated in the
Anzio Anzio (, also ; ) is a town and ''comune'' on region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside resorts, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola, and Ve ...
landings. He also aided the
American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...
in Germany. After returning from Germany, McCuish held several positions with the Kansas Republican Party including being a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1948. In 1953, McCuish was elected
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of Kansas, and served under Governor
Fred Hall Frederick Lee Hall (July 24, 1916 – March 18, 1970) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served as the 31st lieutenant governor of Kansas from 1951 to 1955 and 33rd governor of Kansas from 1955 until 1957 and a justice of the Kans ...
. In 1956, Hall sought reelection as governor, but failed to win the nomination of the Kansas Republican Party. After voters chose Democrat
George Docking George Docking (February 23, 1904 – January 20, 1964) was an American businessman who served as the 35th governor of Kansas (1957–1961). He was a member of the Democratic Party. Biography Born in Clay Center, Kansas, Docking was educated ...
as their next governor, an unprecedented series of events transpired. On December 31, 1956, William Smith, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court resigned so that a Republican governor might appoint his successor. Hall then resigned on January 3, 1957, making McCuish governor of Kansas for the 11 days remaining before Docking's inauguration. McCuish then appointed Hall to the State Supreme Court. The episode, which was dubbed "the triple play of 1956," was legal but widely considered unethical. The move spurred the
Kansas Legislature The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, with 125 state representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 state sen ...
to pass, with 70 percent of the vote, an amendment to the state constitution requiring justices to be chosen with a merit system. After leaving office, McCuish returned to the newspaper business, but continued to be politically active. He became an independent oil operator and sold his newspaper.


Death

McCuish died after suffering a stroke and is interred at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.


References


External links


National Governor's Association Bio
*
Kansapedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCuish, John Republican Party governors of Kansas Lieutenant governors of Kansas Washburn University alumni United States Army personnel of World War II 1906 births 1962 deaths People from Leadville, Colorado American Presbyterians 20th-century Kansas politicians United States Army soldiers American Red Cross personnel Kemper Military School alumni