Alf Landon

Alfred Mossman Landon
Born	Alfred Mossman Landon Template:Birth date West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	October 12, 1987(1987-10-12) (aged 100) Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Businessman, politician
Years active	Early 1900s–1960s
Known for	26th Governor of Kansas; 1936 Republican presidential nominee

Alfred Mossman Landon (September 9, 1887 – October 12, 1987) was an American businessman in the oil industry and a political figure who served as the 26th governor of Kansas from 1933 until 1937. A member of the Republican Party, he was their presidential candidate in the 1936 United States presidential election, where he suffered a decisive defeat against the sitting president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. Landon secured only 8 electoral votes compared to Roosevelt’s overwhelming total of 523, marking the widest margin across Roosevelt’s four presidential campaigns. Until Jimmy Carter reached the age of 100 in 2024, Landon was the sole major-party nominee to live a century, and he remains the only Republican candidate to have done so.

Originally born in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, Landon spent much of his youth in Marietta, Ohio before moving to Kansas. After earning his degree from the University of Kansas, he pursued a career as an independent oil producer based in Lawrence, where he accumulated considerable wealth and emerged as a prominent figure among progressive Republicans in Kansas. Elected governor in the 1932 Kansas gubernatorial election, his administration prioritized lowering taxes and maintaining fiscal balance during the Great Depression. Although he endorsed certain aspects of the New Deal, he was critical of its operational shortcomings.

The 1936 Republican National Convention selected Landon as its presidential nominee. His campaign failed to gain traction, capturing only two states and failing to win his home state of Kansas. Following his gubernatorial tenure, Landon refrained from seeking further elected office but advocated for policies such as the Marshall Plan and Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society initiatives. He inaugurated the Landon Lecture Series at Kansas State University with his first lecture. Landon passed away in Topeka in 1987. His daughter, Nancy Kassebaum, served as a U.S. Senator representing Kansas from 1978 through 1997.

Early life and education

Alfred Mossman Landon entered the world on September 9, 1887, in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, born to Anne Mossman and John Manuel Landon. His upbringing occurred primarily in Marietta, Ohio, before relocating with his family to Kansas at age seventeen. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1908. Initially interested in banking, by 1912 he shifted focus to become an independent oil producer operating out of Independence, Kansas. During World War I, Landon held the rank of captain within the Chemical Corps, preparing for deployment to France; however, the war concluded before his unit saw action.

By 1929, Landon had amassed significant wealth through his oil enterprises and played a key role in founding the Kansas-Oklahoma chapter of what was then known as the Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association—today recognized as part of the United States Oil and Gas Association—a major lobbying organization for petroleum interests.

He was married to Margaret Fleming until her passing in 1918.

Career

In 1912, Landon aligned himself with Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party and by 1922 had become private secretary to Kansas’s governor. He later emerged as a leading liberal Republican within the state and was elected chairman of the Republican state central committee in 1928. That same year, he managed victorious Republican campaigns for both presidential and gubernatorial races within Kansas.

Following a fractious primary that weakened Kansas Republicans in 1930, Landon sought to unify the party by running again in 1932 and securing its nomination. He won election as Governor of Kansas, defeating incumbent Democrat Woodring along with independent candidate John R. Brinkley. In his bid for re-election in 1934 against Democrat Omar B. Ketchum, Landon succeeded; notably, he and California’s Frank Merriam were the only Republican governors nationwide to be re-elected that year. His governorship was characterized by efforts to reduce taxation and maintain balanced budgets. A fiscal conservative by nature, Landon supported certain elements of the New Deal and labor unions but later opposed Right-to-Work legislation. Additionally, he stood against segregation policies and welcomed newly elected Black party officials to share office space alongside their colleagues.

During the 1932 presidential campaign season, tensions developed between Landon and President Herbert Hoover. Their mutual acquaintance Osro Cobb attempted to mediate between them without success; Cobb recognized Hoover's competence and empathy despite political difficulties.

As governor amidst the challenges of the Great Depression, Landon aimed both to alleviate economic distress and reinforce Republican influence within Kansas. Following his speech at the 1936 Cleveland convention, he stressed the importance of nominating a strong candidate for president. That same year, he convened a special legislative session focused on aligning Kansas’s laws with federal social security mandates.

1936 presidential election

In the 1936 presidential race, Landon secured the Republican nomination to challenge Roosevelt’s bid for a second term. His campaign manager, John Hamilton, mobilized younger party members in opposition to the faction aligned with Herbert Hoover. Landon was chosen on the initial ballot, and the convention selected Chicago publisher and future Roosevelt Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox as his vice-presidential candidate.

Landon was not an effective campaigner and seldom traveled during the election season; most criticisms directed at Roosevelt and Social Security originated from other Republicans. He refrained from making public campaign appearances for two months following his nomination. As columnist Westbrook Pegler humorously noted, "Considerable mystery surrounds the disappearance of Alfred M. Landon of Topeka, Kansas ... The Missing Persons Bureau has sent out an alarm bulletin ... anyone having information ... is asked to communicate with the Republican National Committee."

Although Landon expressed respect for Roosevelt and accepted many New Deal policies, he condemned them as antagonistic toward business interests and inefficient. Toward the end of the campaign, he accused Roosevelt of corruption, alleging that excessive executive power had undermined constitutional principles. Landon declared:

The 1936 election resulted in a decisive defeat for Landon. Despite receiving nearly seventeen million votes and gaining endorsement from track star Jesse Owens, he lost by a margin exceeding 10 million votes. He failed to carry his home state of Kansas and won only Maine and Vermont, securing eight electoral votes compared to Roosevelt’s 523. Additionally, Republicans lost the Kansas governorship to Democrat Walter A. Huxman. FDR's overwhelming victory was the largest since 1820, prompting Democratic chairman James Farley to humorously revise the saying "As Maine goes, so goes the nation" to "As Maine goes, so goes Vermont."

Later life

Following his 1936 loss, Landon completed his tenure as Governor of Kansas before returning to work in the oil sector, choosing not to pursue further elected positions.

In 1938, he defended First Amendment rights on behalf of his former opponent, Norman Thomas, who had been expelled from Jersey City by Mayor Frank Hague, an ally of FDR. This event led to a lasting friendship between Landon and Thomas. Landon criticized both the New Deal and Hague as threats to free expression, underscoring his dedication to liberty and tolerance.

After consecutive Republican defeats in 1932 and 1936, Landon contributed to healing divisions within the party by mentoring emerging leaders for the 1940 presidential contest and promoting compromise between isolationist and internationalist factions regarding foreign policy. He participated in the American delegation at the 1938 Pan-American Conference held in Lima, Peru, but declined any Cabinet appointment under Roosevelt unless the President renounced a third term.

With World War II’s outbreak in 1939, Landon opposed isolationists such as those in the America First Committee, fearing their position would encourage Nazi Germany. In 1941, although he joined isolationists in opposing lend-lease legislation, he supported a $5 billion direct aid package for the United Kingdom.

After the war, Landon endorsed the Marshall Plan but objected to excessive domestic government spending. Following the 1949 Chinese Revolution, he was among the first to advocate recognizing Mao Zedong’s communist regime and supporting its admission into the United Nations, a stance that was contentious at that time.

In 1961, Landon called for U.S. participation in the European Common Market. By 1962, he described his political ideology as "practical progressive," emphasizing that Republicans needed to address challenges posed by an advanced industrial society. Later in that decade, he backed President Lyndon Johnson’s initiatives such as Medicare and other programs under the Great Society.

On December 13, 1966, Landon delivered the first "Landon Lecture" at Kansas State University, entitled "New Challenges in International Relations." This lecture series has since hosted numerous global leaders and seven U.S. presidents.

Landon also spoke at the Republican National Convention held in Kansas City.

Final years

President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, visited Landon at his residence in Topeka to celebrate his 100th birthday. Reagan described Landon as "the living soul of Kansas" and expressed the delight of honoring someone who had reached a century of life. Using a walking cane, Landon conveyed his honor in welcoming the President and First Lady. Nearly a decade later, White House Chief of Staff Howard Baker wed Landon's daughter, Nancy.

Just over a week following his centennial celebration, Landon was admitted to the hospital due to gallstones and mild bronchitis but was discharged and returned home by October 10. He passed away in Topeka on October 12, 1987, only thirty-three days after turning 100 years old, and was laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery. His second wife, Theo Cobb, survived him.

Family

On January 7, 1915, Landon married Margaret Fleming from Oil City, Pennsylvania. They had two children named after themselves; however, their son died shortly after birth. Margaret passed away in 1918. Following her death, Landon concentrated on overseeing his oil ventures and raising his daughter. He remarried on January 15, 1930, to Theo Cobb of Topeka. Together they had one son and one daughter. Theo chose to focus on raising their children rather than participating in politics, later commenting that "Mrs. Roosevelt was doing enough traveling for both of us." She outlived Landon by nine years, passing away at age 97 in 1996.

Landon's daughter, Nancy Kassebaum, served as a U.S. Senator representing Kansas; she was first elected in 1978 and subsequently re-elected in 1984 and 1990. Her second spouse was former Senate colleague Howard Baker. Additionally, Landon's nephew was actor Hal Landon Jr..

Electoral history

Kansas gubernatorial election, 1932

• Alf Landon (Republican) – 278,581 votes (34.82%)
• Harry Hines Woodring (Democrat, Incumbent) – 272,944 votes (34.12%)
• John Romulus Brinkley (Independent) – 244,607 votes (30.58%)

Republican primary for Governor of Kansas, 1934

• Alf Landon (Incumbent) – 233,956 votes (79.87%)
• John Romulus Brinkley – 58,983 votes (20.14%)

Kansas gubernatorial election, 1934

• Alf Landon (Republican, Incumbent) – 422,030 votes (53.51%)
• Omar B. Ketchum (Democrat) – 359,877 votes (45.63%)
• George M. Whiteside (Socialist) – 6,744 votes (0.86%)

Republican presidential primaries, 1936

• William E. Borah – 1,478,676 votes (44.48%)
• Alf Landon – 729,908 votes (21.96%)
• Frank Knox – 527,054 votes (15.85%)
• Earl Warren – 350,917 votes (10.56%)
• Other candidates – remaining votes

1936 Republican National Convention

• Alf Landon – 984 delegate votes (98.11%)
• William E. Borah – 19 delegate votes (1.89%)

1936 United States presidential election

• Franklin D. Roosevelt/John Nance Garner (Democratic) – 27,752,648 popular votes (60.8%) and 523 electoral votes (46 states)
• Alf Landon/Frank Knox (Republican) – 16,681,862 popular votes (36.5%) and 8 electoral votes (2 states)
• Other candidates received minor percentages without electoral votes

Further reading

• McCoy, Donald R. Landon of Kansas (1966) authoritative scholarly biography
• Mayer, George H. "Alf M. Landon as Leader of the Republican Opposition, 1937–1940." Kansas Historical Quarterly 1966 32(3): 325–333. online

External links

• Obituary of Alf Landon (The New York Times)
• Alfred M. Landon Public Issues Lecture Series (Kansas State University)
• Alfred M. Landon archival collection held by the Kansas Historical Society
• Alf Landon’s Perspective on Social Security Reform by Nicholaus Mills, featured in Dissent, Spring 2005 edition.
• Governor Alf Landon Digital Archives (KGI Online Library – State Library of Kansas)

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