Alfred
Landon was born in West Middlesex
on 9th September, 1887. After graduating from the University of Kansas
in 1908 he joined the oil business.
In 1912 Landon campaigned for Theodore
Roosevelt and the Progressive Party.
His proposed program included women's suffrage,
direct election of senators, anti-trust legislation and the prohibition
of child labour. Roosevelt won 4,126,020
votes, but as he split the traditional Republican
Party vote, he enabled Woodrow Wilson,
the Democratic candidate, to be elected.
Landon served in the United States Army during
the First World War. After the war he joined
the Republican Party and in 1932 was
elected governor of Kansas. Re-elected in 1934, he was chosen as the
party's presidential candidate to stand against Franklin
D. Roosevelt in 1936. Roosevelt was at the height of his popularity
and easily won by 27,751,612 votes to 16,681,913.
After losing the election Landon returned to Kansas where he remained
active in politics. Alfred Landon died in Topeka, Kansas on 12th October,
1987.
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