Louis Lincoln Emmerson (December 27, 1863 – February 4, 1941) was an American Republican politician and the twenty-seventh governor of Illinois. He was also a prominent figure in

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in Illinois.

Early life

Louis was born on December 27, 1863, in

Albion, Illinois Albion is a city in and the county seat of Edwards County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,971 at the 2020 census. The city was named "Albion" after an ancient and poetic reference to the island of Great Britain. History The sett ...

, and is the son of Jesse and Fannie Emerson. He was one of fourteen children. After completing his education in the Albion public school system, Emmerson moved to

Mount Vernon, Illinois Mount Vernon is a city in Jefferson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 14,600 at the 2020 census. Mount Vernon is the principal city of the Mount Vernon, Illinois micropolitan area, which includes all of ...

, in 1883, and established a career in the mercantile business. In 1887 Louis married his wife, Ann Mathews, who was the daughter of Thomas Matthews. He also was influential in the organization of the Mount Vernon Third National Bank, which occurred in 1901.

Freemasonry

in 1891, Emmerson became a made

master mason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

of the Mt. Vernon

masonic lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

. In 1929, he was elected the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge Of Illinois. He became a

Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a List of Masonic rites, rite within the broader context of Freemasonry. It is the most widely practiced List of Masonic rites, Rite in the world. In some parts of the world, and in the ...

mason and served as the Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Illinois and Right Eminent Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of

Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

of Illinois.

Political career

Emmerson entered politics in 1912, pursuing the position of state treasurer but was unsuccessful. However, four years later, he won the election for secretary of state which he held for twelve years.

Governor

Emmerson won the 1928 Republican gubernatorial nomination by a margin of 63% to 37% over the incumbent governor, the corrupt

Len Small Lennington "Len" Small (June 16, 1862 – May 17, 1936) was an American politician who served as the 26th Governor of Illinois from 1921 to 1929. He previously was a member of the Illinois state senate from the 16th District from 1901 to 1903 ...

, and was sworn into the governorship on January 14, 1929. He was the oldest Illinois Governor at that time at age 65. During his service from 1929 to 1933, at the start of the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, legislation was adopted that eased penalties on overdue taxes and allowed for the issuance of emergency bonds. Also, a motor fuel-tax was instituted and used for improvements in the highway system, the first unemployment commission was initiated, and federal grants were sanctioned for the completion of the Lakes-to-the-Gulf Waterway. Emmerson did not seek reelection and left office on January 9, 1933, retiring from politics.

Later life

Governor Louis L. Emmerson died on February 4, 1941, and was buried at the Oakwood Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Illinois.

References

External links

Campaigns
* 1863 births 1941 deaths People from Albion, Illinois Republican Party governors of Illinois Secretaries of state of Illinois {{Illinois-politician-stub