Representative Leon Walter Powers View All Years

LEON W. POWERS

MR. SPEAKER: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character and public service of the late Honorable Leon W. Powers, begs leave to submit the following memorial:

Leon W. Powers was born in Webster county, Iowa, June 12, 1888, and passed away at his home in Denison, Iowa, on Tuesday, January 7, 1959. His death at the age of 70 brought to a close the illustrious career of a lawyer, judge, and political leader.

Mr. Powers received his preparatory education in the rural schools and at Tobin College at Fort Dodge, Iowa. He completed a course in the College of Liberal Arts at the State University of Iowa in 1912. In 1914 he graduated from the law school of the University of Chicago, and began to practice law at Denison, Iowa.

On June 28, 1916, he married the former Blanid Lally, and to this union were born four children: Leon, Mary Katherine, Patricia and James. His wife and son, Leon, died in 1947.

As a practicing trial lawyer, Mr. Powers was associated with J. P. Conner from 1914 to 1924, and L. V. Gilchrist from 1928 to 1934, and again from 1936 to 1945. At the time of his death he was in partnership with R. C. Reimer in offices above the Crawford County Trust and Savings Bank in Denison, Iowa.

As an attorney, Mr. Powers was general counsel for the Farm Credit Administration of Omaha, and chairman of the board of directors of the Federal Land Bank, the Federal Intermediate Credit Bank, the Bank of Cooperatives and the Production Credit Corporation.

Leon W. Powers was a member of the Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth sessions of the General Asembly of the State of Iowa, representing Crawford county.

He was a delegate to three national conventions 1924, 1932 when Franklin D. Roosevelt was first nominated, and again in 1944. He became a member of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Iowa in 1934 and served two years. He was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic church in Denison, the Knights of Columbus, a Kiwanian of honorary standing, and of the Elks in Carroll. He was president of the Crawford County Bar Association and had served on important committees of the Iowa State Bar Association, and in 1933 he served the state as Assistant Attorney General.

Mr. Powers’ crowning professional achievement came with his selection as a justice at the Nurnberg War Trials when leaders of the Nazi party were charged shortly after World War II. He was a judge of the ministries in the military trials and sat on the bench for the Wilhelmstrasse case which tried 21 leaders of the Nazi party in Germany.

Surviving him are two daughters, Mrs. Mary Katherine Kimball of Manhasset, New York, and Mrs. Patricia Keller of Plandome, New York, and his son, James P. Powers of Phoenix, Arizona; also surviving him are 15 grandchildren.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Home of Representatives of the Fifty-eighth General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable Leon W. Powers, the state has lost an honored citizen and faithful and useful public servant, and the House by this resolution would express its appreciation of his service, and tender its sympathy to the members of his family.

Be It Further Resolved: That a copy of this resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

HAROLD HOUSTON,

W. J. JOHANNES,

PETER STEENHUSEN,

Committee.