Walter Samuel Goodland (December 22, 1862March 12, 1947) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 31st

governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's Wisconsin Army National Guard, army and Wisconsin Air National Guard, air forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the ...

. He was a member of the Republican Party and attended

Lawrence University Lawrence University is a Private college, private liberal arts college and Music school, conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second colle ...

Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton () is the county seat of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States, with small portions extending into Calumet County, Wisconsin, Calumet and Winnebago County, Wisconsin, Winnebago counties. Located on the Fox River (Green Bay tributary ...

Biography

Goodland, born in

Sharon, Wisconsin Sharon is a village in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,586 at the 2020 census. The village is within the Town of Sharon. History The village is named after Sharon Springs, New York. Geography Sharon is locat ...

, was a lawyer and newspaper owner; he had owned a newspaper in

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

in Iron Mountain. Goodland spent time on the

Gogebic Range The Gogebic Range is an elongated area of iron ore deposits located within a range of hills in northern Michigan and Wisconsin just south of Lake Superior. It extends from Lake Namakagon in Wisconsin eastward to Lake Gogebic in Michigan, or alm ...

as a young man. He came to the range and began practicing law in

Wakefield, Michigan Wakefield is a city in Gogebic County, Michigan, Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,702 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Wakefield is located in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsu ...

. There he began the ''Wakefield Bulletin'', one of the early daily newspapers of the range. Later, he established the ''Ironwood Times'', disposing of it in May 1895 to Bennett and Green. The Ironwood Times continued to publish until May 1946. Goodland served in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those o ...

. From 1911 to 1915, he was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River (Wisconsin), Root River, south of Milwaukee and north of Chicago. It is the List ...

. From 1939 to 1943, Walter Goodland was the 29th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin. In 1942, he was reelected

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 ...

. On December 7, 1942, Governor-elect

Orland Steen Loomis Orland Steen "Spike" Loomis (November 2, 1893December 7, 1942) was an American lawyer and progressive politician from Juneau County, Wisconsin. He was elected to be the 31st governor of Wisconsin in 1942, but died before taking office. He previo ...

died before his inaugural. The

Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...

ruled that Lieutenant Governor Goodland would serve Orland Loomis's term as governor, overriding the view of Governor

Julius Heil Julius Peter Heil (July 24, 1876November 30, 1949) was an American politician and the 30th governor of Wisconsin from 1939 to 1943. Early life Heil, a Jewish immigrant to the United States, was born in Düssmund an der Mosel, Germany. As a child ...

that he should continue in office. Goodland was initially paid as the Lieutenant Governor, with a salary of $1,500 a year. He earned a six dollar daily bonus for being governor while the legislature was in session, and a five dollar daily bonus when it was not. In 1944, Walter Goodland was elected Governor of

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

in his own right, and in 1946 he was reelected. Walter Goodland died of a heart attack on Wednesday, March 12, 1947, while in office in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, at age 84. At the time of his death, Goodland was the oldest individual to have served as governor of any state in the union. He also had the distinction of both assuming and relinquishing the office of governor due to a death, the death of Loomis and his own.

Honors

*Goodland Hall at

Mendota Mental Health Institute Mendota Mental Health Institute (MMHI) is a public psychiatric hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, operated by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission. Portions of the facility are ...

was named for the governor. * Walter Goodland Elementary School, Racine, Wisconsin was named in his honor. *Goodland Park, one of Dane County's oldest parks, named for Wisconsin's oldest governor.

References

External links

Walter S. Goodland, Dictionary of Wisconsin History, Wisconsin State Historical SocietyWalter S. Goodland, Wisconsin State Historical Society, articles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodland, Walter Samuel 1862 births 1947 deaths People from Sharon, Wisconsin American publishers (people) Republican Party governors of Wisconsin Lawrence University alumni Lieutenant governors of Wisconsin Mayors of Racine, Wisconsin Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin Republican Party Wisconsin state senators People from Wakefield, Michigan 20th-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature