Orland Steen Loomis

Orland Steen "Spike" Loomis (November 2, 1893 – December 7, 1942) was an American lawyer. He was elected to be the 31st Governor of Wisconsin in 1942, but died before taking office. He previously served as the 28th Attorney General of Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin Progressive Party.

Orland S. Loomis
The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, WI), June 3, 1942
Governor-elect of Wisconsin
Died before taking office
In office
November 4, 1942 – December 7, 1942
Preceded byJulius P. Heil
Succeeded byWalter Samuel Goodland
28th Attorney General of Wisconsin
In office
January 4, 1937 – January 2, 1939
GovernorPhilip La Follette
Preceded byJames E. Finnegan
Succeeded byJohn E. Martin
Member of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 31st district
In office
January 14, 1931 – January 9, 1935
Preceded byHoward Teasdale
Succeeded byJames Earl Leverich
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Juneau district
In office
January 9, 1929 – January 14, 1931
Preceded byArchibald A. Telfer
Succeeded byBen Tremain
Personal details
Born(1893-11-02)November 2, 1893
Mauston, Wisconsin
DiedDecember 7, 1942(1942-12-07) (aged 49)
Madison, Wisconsin
Resting placeMauston Cemetery
Mauston, Wisconsin
Political partyRepublican (until 1934)
Wisconsin Progressive
Spouse(s)Florence Marie Ely
ChildrenRobert Morgan
John
Jean (Ormson)
MotherClara Augusta (Steen) Loomis
FatherMorgan O. Loomis
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin Law School
OccupationAttorney, politician
Known forElected Governor of Wisconsin, but died before taking office
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
American Expeditionary Forces
Years of service1918–1919
Rank First Lieutenant
Battles/warsWorld War I

Biography

Orland Loomis was born in Mauston, Wisconsin. He received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1917. He was stationed in France during World War I,[1] after which he returned to Mauston to practice law, serving as the city attorney from 1922 to 1931. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1928 and the Wisconsin State Senate in 1930. From 1935 to 1937 Loomis was director of the Rural Electrification Administration in Wisconsin. He was then elected Attorney General of Wisconsin, serving from 1937 to 1939.

After narrowly losing the 1940 election for Governor of Wisconsin as a Progressive, Loomis ran again in 1942, defeating the incumbent Governor Julius Heil. He died suddenly of a heart attack a month before he was to take office, and the Republican Lieutenant Governor Walter Samuel Goodland served all of Loomis's term as acting governor.[2]

Orland Steen Loomis was buried in Mauston. Loomis Road (WIS 36) in Milwaukee County is named after him.

Loomis married Florence Marie Ely on June 22, 1918. They had three children.

In 1943, the Liberty Ship SS Orland Loomis was named after him.[1]

References
  1. togetherweserved.com – 1LT Orland Steen Loomis. Retrieved August 6, 2013
  2. Orland S. Loomis, WHi-2771. Wisconsinhistory.org (December 7, 1942). Retrieved on 2016-01-22.


Party political offices
Preceded by
Philip La Follette		 Progressive nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
1940, 1942		 Succeeded by
Alexander O. Benz
Legal offices
Preceded by
James E. Finnegan		 Attorney General of Wisconsin
1937–1939		 Succeeded by
John E. Martin
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