George Dern
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
George Henry Dern (born 1872) was an American politician, and the 54th War Secretary. He was a Democratic politician.
Dern was born in Dodge County, Nebraska, and followed his father John into the mining business in Utah. Dern grew to become one of the state's most powerful men in the mining industry, before running for the Utah State Senate in 1914. He was a non-Mormon Democrat in a largely Mormon and Republican state, but this did not stop Dern from being elected Governor of Utah from 1925 to 1933. His term included securing the ratification of the Colorado River Compact, and at the National Governor's Conference he met then-Governor of New York Franklin D. Roosevelt. He supported Roosevelt's campaign for President in 1932, and was rewarded with the position of U.S. Secretary of War.
At age 64, in 1936, Dern passed away while still in office as the War Secretary. He was the grandfather of actor Bruce Dern.
Links
- Biography (http://historytogo.utah.gov/gdern.html)
| Preceded by: Charles R. Mabey | Governor of Utah 1925-1933 | Succeeded by: Henry H. Blood |
| Preceded by: Patrick J. Hurley | Secretary of War 1933-1936 | Succeeded by: Harry Hines Woodring |
Categories: American politician stubs | 1872 births | 1936 deaths | U.S. Secretaries of War | Governors of Utah
