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Robert Floyd Kennon Sr. (August 21, 1902 – January 11, 1988), was an American politician and judge who served as the 48th governor of Louisiana, an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, a judge of the
Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal The Louisiana Circuit Courts of Appeal are the intermediate appellate courts for the state of Louisiana. There are five circuits, each covering a different group of parishes. Each circuit is subdivided into three districts. As with the Lou ...
, the district attorney of
Bossier Parish Bossier Parish ( ; french: Paroisse de Bossier) is a parish located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2010 census, the population was 116,979, and 128,746 in 2020. The parish seat is Benton. The principal city is ...
and
Webster Parish Webster Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de Webster'') is a parish located in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. As of the 2010 census, the Webster Parish population was 41,207. In 2018, the ...
, and mayor of
Minden, Louisiana Minden is a city and parish seat in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,082. History Minden was established in 1836 by Char ...
. During Kennon's governorship, he additionally served as chairman of the
National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politi ...
and chairman of the
Council of State Governments The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government. Founded in 1933 by Colorado state Sen. Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum that ...
.


Early life

Kennon was born near
Minden, Louisiana Minden is a city and parish seat in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,082. History Minden was established in 1836 by Char ...
. He graduated from Minden High School in 1919 and then went to
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
. While at LSU, Kennon played football and tennis. He completed his undergrad there in 1923 and his law degree there in 1925.


Career

In 1925, Kennon was elected mayor of
Minden, Louisiana Minden is a city and parish seat in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 13,082. History Minden was established in 1836 by Char ...
, at the age of 23. He served in that position until 1928. In 1930, he became district attorney for
Bossier Parish Bossier Parish ( ; french: Paroisse de Bossier) is a parish located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2010 census, the population was 116,979, and 128,746 in 2020. The parish seat is Benton. The principal city is ...
. He served as a district attorney until 1940. He also served as district attorney in
Webster Parish Webster Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de Webster'') is a parish located in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. As of the 2010 census, the Webster Parish population was 41,207. In 2018, the ...
. Apparently he was attorney for both parishes at the same time. Kennon was elected to the 2nd circuit court of appeals in 1940. However, he instead of serving joined the United States military and did not take up active service as a judge until after World War II. While governor, Kennon reestablished the state
civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
in Louisiana, which had been abolished by his predecessor
Earl Long Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and the 45th governor of Louisiana, serving three nonconsecutive terms. Long, known as "Uncle Earl", connected with voters through his folksy demeanor and c ...
. He also advocated constitutional amendments to limit the power of the governor's office. He also worked to create
home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
for
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths. Members come to the association from across the politi ...
from 1954 to 1955, and as chairman of the
Council of State Governments The Council of State Governments (CSG) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization in the United States that serves all three branches of state government. Founded in 1933 by Colorado state Sen. Henry W. Toll, CSG is a region-based forum that ...
in 1955."Former Governor Kennon dies", ''
Minden Press-Herald Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, the greatest town between Bielefeld and Hanover. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Minden-Lübbecke, which is part of the region of Det ...
'', January 12, 1988, p. 1.


References


External links

*
State of Louisiana - Biography

Cemetery Memorial
by La-Cemeteries
Burial site of Robert F. Kennon at Find A Grave
, - , - 1902 births 1988 deaths 20th-century American judges United States Army personnel of World War II American Presbyterians Circuit court judges in the United States Democratic Party governors of Louisiana District attorneys in Louisiana Louisiana state court judges Louisiana State University alumni Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court LSU Tigers football players LSU Tigers tennis players Mayors of Minden, Louisiana Minden High School (Minden, Louisiana) alumni People from Dubberly, Louisiana Politicians from Baton Rouge, Louisiana United States Army colonels Old Right (United States) {{Louisiana-stub