Senator Carl Webster Reed View All Years

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Compiled Historical Information

Date of Death: 12/15/1959

Birth Place: Cresco, Iowa

Birth County: Howard

Party Affiliation: Republican

Assemblies Served:
Senate: 38 (1919) - 41 (1925)

Home County: Howard

Family Members Who Served in the Iowa Legislature: Father: Henry T. Reed; GA 16

Carl Webster Reed

Howard County

CARL W. REED

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

Carl W. Reed was born in Cresco, Iowa, May 6, 1873, the son of Henry Thomas and Laura Webster Reed. He died in Des Moines, Iowa, December 15, 1959.

He married Alice Mathilda Swenson of Cresco, July 14, 1909. To this union were born two sons and one daughter.

He graduated from the Cresco High School in 1892, attended the University of Wisconsin and received his law degree from the University of Minnesota in 1896.

He worked in the law office of his father in Cresco from 1892 to 1894, practiced law with his father from 1896 to 1897, and became a partner with his father in the law firm of H. T. and C. W. Reed from 1897 to 1904, when his father became United States district judge for the Northern District of Iowa.

He was Cresco city attorney from 1896 to 1902, member of the city council from 1911 to 1914, and Howard County attorney from 1915 to 1919. In 1926 he was appointed Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial District. He established a law partnership with his son, Henry F. Reed, at Cresco in 1938.

Mr. Reed was active in many activities. He was a captain in the Iowa National Guard from 1902 to 1909, was a member of the Thirteenth District Judicial and Iowa State Bar Associations, past director of the Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Kiwanis, lieutenant governor second division Iowa-Nebraska district from 1938 to 1939, member of the Odd Fellows, sovereign of Saint Bartholomew conclave of Red Cross of Constantine in 1948, a 50-year Royal Arch Mason, past high priest and past master of Masonic Order, past commander of the Knights Templar, was active in Boy Scout work, being chairman of the court of honor since 1935, charter member of the Cresco Kiwanis Club, life member of the El Kahir Shrine at Cedar Rapids, charter member of the New Century Masonic Lodge in Des Moines and a member of the Congregational Church.

Mr. Reed served as State Senator from the Howard-Winneshiek district in the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth, Fortieth, Fortieth Extra, and Fortyfirst sessions of the General Assembly.

In 1940 he was elected to the State Commerce Commission. He moved to Des Moines at that time where he served four four-year terms. He withdrew his name before the 1956 election because of poor health.

Surviving Mr. Reed are his wife; a daughter, June Carlisle Reed of Alexandria, Virginia; two sons, Henry Frederick Reed of Des Moines, and Richard Carl Reed of Washington, D. C.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Fifty-ninth General Assembly of Iowa: That in the passing of the Honorable Carl W. Reed, the people of Howard County and the entire State of Iowa have sustained a great loss, and the Senate expresses its appreciation of his character and public service and tenders, by this resolution, its sincere and heartfelt sympathy to his family in their sorrow.

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

LYNN POTTER,

IRVING D. LONG,

GEORGE L. SCOTT,

Committee.

The resolution was unanimously adopted.

Senate District 42