Representative from Clay county, was born in a log cabin in Johnson county, Indiana, May 6, 1894, one of the four children of Samuel and Jennie Kephart. His grandfather, Thomas Kephart, was a civil war veteran and a pioneer resident of Winterset, Iowa. He received his education in the rural schools of Morgan county, and the Union township high school, Johnson county, Indiana. He attended Central Normal College of Danville, Indiana, State Normal College, Terre Haute, Indiana, the Iowa State Teacher's College, and Buena Vista College of Storm Lake, Iowa, from which institution he received his B. A. degree in 1924. He has taken special work in the Iowa State College at Ames and the State University of Iowa. He spent nineteen years in educational work in the state of Iowa, four years at Galva, Iowa, four years at Hayes Cons. P. O. Storm Lake, Iowa, and eleven years as superintendent of the Peterson consolidated schools. On December 25, 1917, he married Ida B. Wilson to which union was born five children, Thomas Gerold, Duane Samuel, Darwin Harold, Deloris Maxine, and Elizabeth June. He served during the World war with the 327th field artillery, 84th division in the A. E. F. He has been active in work with boys' groups, especially the Boy Scouts of America. He is an active member of the American Legion and is a member of Masonic lodge and the Eastern Star. He was elected to the legislature in 1936. A democrat.