Ralph F. Gates

Ralph F. Gates, a Columbia City attorney and banker born in 1893 and died in 1978, was elected State Commander of the American Legion in 1931 and in 1944 led the Republican Party to control of state offices and the Indiana General Assembly. As Governor from 1945 to 1949, he created the state Department of Veterans’ Affairs to aid Hoosier men and women returning from World War II in obtaining employment, education, and housing. Amid national post-war labor strikes in coal, steel, and railroads, he oversaw the transition of Indiana’s economy from war to peace. His administration streamlined Indiana government, created agencies to promote commerce, aviation, and flood control, and worked to obtain funds for better roads and highways, higher salaries for teachers, and new state health facilities.

Columbia City, Indiana · United States