William Randolph Carpenter (April 24, 1894,

Marion, Kansas Marion is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Kansas, Marion County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,922. The city was named in honor of Francis Marion, a b ...

– July 26, 1956,

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 ...

) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

and a U.S. Army

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

. He died in

, July 26, 1956 and was interred in Highland Cemetery,

Biography

Carpenter attended local public and high schools in Marion, Kansas. He graduated from the law department of the

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor 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 1917, where he was a member of

Chi Phi Chi Phi () is considered by some as the oldest American men's college social fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The earliest of these organizations was forme ...

fraternity. Carpenter was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

that same year and commenced his practice in

. He continued his family's agricultural pursuits by maintaining his farm.Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Official Internet website

World War I

Carpenter joined the U. S. Army National Guard in Marion in 1917 as a Second Lieutenant and helped organize Company M under the Third Regiment Infantry,

Kansas National Guard The Kansas National Guard, is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of Kansas. It comprises both the Kansas Army National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard. The Governor of Kansas is Commander-in-Chief of the Ka ...

. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was called to active duty and was transferred to Company M, One Hundred Thirty-ninth Infantry Regiment, Thirty-fifth Infantry Division which deployed to France in early 1918. He was promoted to first lieutenant during the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and served until his discharge on May 8, 1919.

Marriage

Carpenter married Helen Frances Williams (born 20 November 1896 in Marion, Kansas - died January 1994 in Topeka, Kansas) daughter of Fred Reed & Frances Elizabeth (née Skidmore) Williams on 15 July 1920 in Marion, Kansas.Pedigree Resource File - Compact Disc #10 accessed 22 June 2009. http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp

Community service

Source: * Member of the Marion Board of Education (1925–1933) * Served in the State House of Representatives (1929–1933) * Elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

to the Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1933–January 3, 1937). Declined to run in 1936 and resumed the practice of law. *

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the District of Kansas (1945–1948) * Democratic candidate for governor in 1948 * Member of the United States Motor Carrier Claims Commission (1950–1952)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carpenter, William Randolph 1894 births 1956 deaths People from Marion, Kansas American Protestants Democratic Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives United States Army officers United States attorneys for the District of Kansas University of Michigan Law School alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Kansas 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Kansas Legislature