Senator Grant L. Caswell View All Years

GRANT L. CASWELL

MR. PRESIDENT: Your committee, appointed to prepare a memorial resolution commemorating the life and public service of the late Grant L. Caswell, begs leave to submit the following:

Grant L. Caswell, publisher and legislator, died at his home in Clarinda, Iowa, May 12, 1948; born in Boone county, Iowa, July 18, 1869.

Mr. Caswell, who had been a partner in the Clarinda Publishing company since 1930, had made his home in Clarinda for five years, since his retirement in 1943 after 60 active years in the printing business. However, his retirement was incomplete as he continued as a newspaper broker on occasional request and almost daily lent a helping hand on many of the lighter but pressing tasks at the Herald-Journal office virtually up to the day of his death.

Mr. Caswell was given an introduction to printer’s ink at the Coon Rapids Enterprise when he was 13 years of age, working as a typesetter before and after school without pay. The thrill of seeing his type in print started him on a career seldom approached in Iowa in longevity or recognition by fellow-publishers.

Acquiring pay of $5 a month for 10-hour work days at the age of 16, he progressed as a printer to jobs at Manning, Cherokee, Sheldon, and finally at Ashton, Iowa, where he acquired his first ownership in a paper at the age of 19. He was associated in or owned newspapers at Sibley, Rock Rapids and Denison in succession from 1893 until after World War I. In 1915 he became secretary of the Iowa Press association which he helped organize, and after disposing of his newspaper at Denison, he assumed full-time active management of the association. So successful was his work that he was called into 17 different states to help organize associations along similar lines.

While serving as state senator for Crawford, Harrison and Monona counties from 1915-1919, Mr. Caswell had a part in establishing the press association which he served as managing director with offices at Ames until 1937.

In recognition of his service to the 300 newspapers of Iowa, Mr. Caswell was presented the IPA’s Master Editor award in 1937 at the close of his twenty-two years’ work as secretary and managing director. He had originated this annual award a few years before. From 1937 until he moved to Clarinda in 1943, he operated his newspaper broker's office in Ames.

He was married 57 years ago at Ashton to Miss Evalena Clark, who survives him.

He also leaves three sons and a daughter, Carl C. Caswell of Clarinda, Paul H. Caswell of Salinas, California, Don L. Caswell of Royal Oak, Michigan, and Mrs. Flo B. Guthrie of Oklahoma City.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Fifty-third General Assembly: That in the passing of the Honorable Grant L. Caswell, the state has lost a valuable and honored citizen and the Senate would tender by this resolution its sincere sympathy to the surviving members of his family, and

Be It Further Resolved: That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the Journal of the Senate, and that the Secretary be instructed to send enrolled copies to the family of the deceased.

E. C. MYRLAND,

EDWARD S. PARKER,

JAY C. COLBURN,

Committee.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.