paul

life as senator / education


excerpted from 'my grandparents' by pauline anderson gibbs about her father paul

PAUL was active in community affairs in gowrie. he served as red cross chairman for clay township during world war I and in later years. in 1918 he was one of the prime movers in founding one of the earliest rural electric cooperatives in iowa. he worked toward construction of the lines which brought lights to 50 homes in southwest webster county in the early twenties and served until 1932 as co-operative secretary and manager. he participated in the organization of the gowrie co-operative creamery and the gowrie co-operative elevator and in the school consolidation movement.

PAUL began to take an active interest in politics and served as webster county democratic party chairman from 1930-32. he ran for state senator and was successfully elected in the roosevelt landslide of 1932 from what had been a republican district. among the laws he successfully sponsored were the first of its kind in the state prohibiting inquiry into the religion of applicants for teaching or other public positions, and a requirement of basic science education for chiropractors. he chaired the senate committee on compensation of public officers. he served two regular and two special sessions of the 45th and 46th general assemblies.