Lloyd C. Stark
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Crow Stark was the 39th Governor of the U.S. state
of Missouri
. He was a Democrat.
Stark was born in Louisiana, Missouri
. Stark is a 1908 graduate of the United States Naval Academy
. After serving four years as a naval officer, Stark went into the family business, the Stark Brothers Nurseries. He was a major in the U.S. Army
during World War I
. He served as the Governor of Missouri from 1937 to 1941 and was a delegate to Democratic National Convention
from Missouri in 1940.
Lloyd Stark had a fierce political rivalry with Harry S. Truman
, against whom he ran for the Senate in 1940—and lost when he and the prosecutor (Maurice M. Milligan
), who toppled the Kansas City political machine, split the anti-Pendergast vote in the Democratic primary. He died in Clayton, Missouri
in 1972.
The falling out between Stark and Kansas City Boss Tom Pendergast
following the 1936 election is widely believed to have been the turning point in Boss Tom's fall from power. Pendergast held so much sway in Missouri in the 1930s that the governor's mansion had been dubbed "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Stark sought and received Pendergast's support. Pendergast's minions were more corrupt and obvious than usual in the 1936 election. This prompted numerous investigations and Stark turned overtly against Pendergast who was eventually convicted of income tax evasion.
Lloyd Stark was part of a family rather prominent in Missouri and was active with his brother Paul Stark in the then family-owned business Stark Brothers' Nursery
(the oldest Nursery in America and at one time the largest in the world). The nursery claims to have popularized the Golden Delicious
apple.
Stark's cousin, Charles Stark Draper
, was a prominent inventor.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He was a Democrat.
Stark was born in Louisiana, Missouri
Louisiana, Missouri
Louisiana is a city in Pike County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,863 at the 2000 census, making it the largest city in Pike Couunty. Louisiana is located in northeast Missouri, on the Mississippi River south of Hannibal....
. Stark is a 1908 graduate of the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
. After serving four years as a naval officer, Stark went into the family business, the Stark Brothers Nurseries. He was a major in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He served as the Governor of Missouri from 1937 to 1941 and was a delegate to Democratic National Convention
Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
from Missouri in 1940.
Lloyd Stark had a fierce political rivalry with Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, against whom he ran for the Senate in 1940—and lost when he and the prosecutor (Maurice M. Milligan
Maurice M. Milligan
Maurice Morton Milligan , a U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, is most famous for the successful 1939 prosecution of Kansas City boss Tom Pendergast....
), who toppled the Kansas City political machine, split the anti-Pendergast vote in the Democratic primary. He died in Clayton, Missouri
Clayton, Missouri
Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...
in 1972.
The falling out between Stark and Kansas City Boss Tom Pendergast
Tom Pendergast
Thomas Joseph Pendergast controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri as a political boss. "Boss Tom" Pendergast gave workers jobs and helped elect politicians during the Great Depression, becoming wealthy in the process.-Early years:Thomas Joseph Pendergast, also known to close friends as...
following the 1936 election is widely believed to have been the turning point in Boss Tom's fall from power. Pendergast held so much sway in Missouri in the 1930s that the governor's mansion had been dubbed "Uncle Tom's Cabin." Stark sought and received Pendergast's support. Pendergast's minions were more corrupt and obvious than usual in the 1936 election. This prompted numerous investigations and Stark turned overtly against Pendergast who was eventually convicted of income tax evasion.
Lloyd Stark was part of a family rather prominent in Missouri and was active with his brother Paul Stark in the then family-owned business Stark Brothers' Nursery
Stark Brothers Nurseries and Orchards
Stark Brothers Nurseries were the marketers of the Red Delicious and the Golden Delicious apple.-History:In 1816, James Hart Stark moved from Kentucky to Louisiana, Missouri. He brought with him a bundle of apple scions. From his bundle he started a nursery business...
(the oldest Nursery in America and at one time the largest in the world). The nursery claims to have popularized the Golden Delicious
Golden Delicious
The Golden Delicious is a cultivar of apple with a yellow color. It is not closely related to the Red Delicious apple.- Appearance and flavor :...
apple.
Stark's cousin, Charles Stark Draper
Charles Stark Draper
Charles Stark Draper was an American scientist and engineer, often referred to as "the father of inertial navigation." He was the founder and director of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, later renamed the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, which under his direction designed and built the Apollo...
, was a prominent inventor.
External links
- Governor's Biography Retrieved on 2008-03-20