Carl Gunderson
Encyclopedia
Carl Gunderson was the 11th Governor
of South Dakota
. Gunderson, a Republican from Mitchell, South Dakota
, served from 1925 to 1927.
, and as a young man filed a claim on a homestead in Clay County, South Dakota, that remained dear to him all his life. He stated that his occupation was a farmer all his life. He attended the University of South Dakota
and Cornell University
. He went into the mercantile business in Vermillion.
, being elected in 1892, 1896, 1898, 1900, and again in 1916. Gunderson served as president pro tempore of the senate in the 1899 session and served as lieutenant governor from 1921 to 1925. He was elected governor in 1924.
William J. Bulow
defeated Gunderson for re-election in 1926. Gunderson received 40.3 percent of the vote and Bulow received 47.4 percent. A third party candidate and an independent received the remainder of the tally Gunderson had easily defeated Bulow in the election of 1924 by 70.2 percent of the vote to 29.8 percent.
After his defeat he returned to his home in Mitchell until his death. He was buried on the tract of land that he had homesteaded.
Governor of South Dakota
The Governor of South Dakota is the head of the executive branch of the government of South Dakota. They are elected to a four year term on even years when there is no Presidential election. The current governor is Dennis Daugaard, a Republican elected in 2010....
of South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. Gunderson, a Republican from Mitchell, South Dakota
Mitchell, South Dakota
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 14,558 people, 6,121 households, and 3,599 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.7 people per square mile . There were 6,555 housing units at an average density of 664.4 per square mile...
, served from 1925 to 1927.
Background
Gunderson was born in a log cabin near Vermillion, South DakotaVermillion, South Dakota
Vermillion is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, in the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of South Dakota, and the tenth largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. Vermillion lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.The area has been home to...
, and as a young man filed a claim on a homestead in Clay County, South Dakota, that remained dear to him all his life. He stated that his occupation was a farmer all his life. He attended the University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota
The University of South Dakota ', the state’s oldest university, was founded in 1862 and classes began in 1882. Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, USD is home to South Dakota's only medical school and law school. USD is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, and its current...
and Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He went into the mercantile business in Vermillion.
Career
Gunderson served five terms in the state senate of the South Dakota LegislatureSouth Dakota Legislature
The South Dakota State Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of South Dakota. It is a bicameral legislative body, consisting of the South Dakota Senate, which has 35 members, and the South Dakota House of Representatives, which has 70 members...
, being elected in 1892, 1896, 1898, 1900, and again in 1916. Gunderson served as president pro tempore of the senate in the 1899 session and served as lieutenant governor from 1921 to 1925. He was elected governor in 1924.
William J. Bulow
William J. Bulow
William John Bulow was an American politician and a lawyer. He was the first Democratic Governor of South Dakota, receiving the highest vote ever received by a Democratic candidate for governor up to that time,, and then went on to serve as a member of the United States Senate.-Biography:Bulow...
defeated Gunderson for re-election in 1926. Gunderson received 40.3 percent of the vote and Bulow received 47.4 percent. A third party candidate and an independent received the remainder of the tally Gunderson had easily defeated Bulow in the election of 1924 by 70.2 percent of the vote to 29.8 percent.
Personal life
In 1892, married Gertrude Bertleson. They had four children.After his defeat he returned to his home in Mitchell until his death. He was buried on the tract of land that he had homesteaded.