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Bob Kennon | |
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| 48thGovernor of Louisiana | |
| In office May 13, 1952 – May 8, 1956 | |
| Lieutenant | C. E. Barham |
| Preceded by | Earl Long |
| Succeeded by | Earl Long |
| Chair of theNational Governors Association | |
| In office July 11, 1954 – August 9, 1955 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel I. J. Thornton |
| Succeeded by | Arthur B. Langlie |
| Judge of theLouisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal | |
| In office 1945–1952 | |
| Preceded by | Harmon Caldwell Drew |
| Succeeded by | J. Frank McInnis |
| Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court | |
| In office 1945–1946 | |
| Preceded by | Archibald T. Higgins |
| Succeeded by | E. Howard McCaleb |
| District Attorney ofBossier andWebster Parishes | |
| In office December 6, 1930 – January 6, 1941 | |
| Preceded by | R. H. Lee |
| Succeeded by | Graydon Kitchens(Acting) |
| Mayor ofMinden, Louisiana | |
| In office 1926–1928 | |
| Preceded by | Connell Fort |
| Succeeded by | Henry L. Bridges |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Floyd Kennon (1902-08-21)August 21, 1902 Dubberly, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 1988(1988-01-11) (aged 85) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Eugenia Sentell |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Louisiana State University(BA,LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | US Army |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Robert Floyd Kennon Sr. (August 21, 1902 – January 11, 1988), was an American politician and judge who served as the 48thgovernor of Louisiana, anassociate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, a judge of theLouisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal, thedistrict attorney ofBossier Parish andWebster Parish, and mayor ofMinden, Louisiana. During Kennon's governorship, he additionally served as chairman of theNational Governors Association and chairman of theCouncil of State Governments.
Kennon was born near Minden, Louisiana. He graduated fromMinden High School in 1919 and then went toLouisiana State University. While at LSU, Kennon played football and tennis.[1] He completed his undergrad there in 1923 and his law degree there in 1925.[2]
In 1925, Kennon was elected mayor of Minden, Louisiana, at the age of 23. He served in that position until 1928. In 1930, he becamedistrict attorney forBossier Parish. He served as a district attorney until 1940. He also served as district attorney inWebster Parish. Apparently he was attorney for both parishes at the same time.[3]
Kennon was elected to the 2nd circuit court of appeals in 1940. However, he instead of serving joined the United States military and did not take up active service as a judge until after World War II.[4]
While governor, Kennon reestablished the statecivil service in Louisiana, which had been abolished by his predecessorEarl Long. He also advocated constitutional amendments to limit the power of the governor's office. He also worked to createhome rule forNew Orleans and end state government interference in local issues there.[5] Other things Kennon did while governor were ensuring that every precinct had a voting machine while working to suppress illegal slot machines and gambling in the state.[6] During Kennon's governorship, he additionally served as chairman of the National Governors Association from 1954 to 1955, and as chairman of theCouncil of State Governments in 1955.[7]
Media related toRobert F. Kennon at Wikimedia Commons| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Democratic nominee for Governor of Louisiana 1952 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Louisiana 1952–1956 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of the National Governors Association 1954–1955 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
