 forrest c donnell (august 20, 1884march 3, 1980) was a united states senator and the 40th governor of missouri. he was a republican. ==early life== donnell was born in quitman, missouri. donnell graduated from maryville high school (missouri) in 1900, where his father was once mayor ironically living in the same home as albert morehouse who had also been governor. at the university of missouri he was a member of the kappa sigma and phi delta phi fraternities and was elected to member in phi beta kappa, theta kappa nu and qebh societies. he was valedictorian of the 1904 class and received a law degree in 1907. in 1907 he moved to st. louis, missouri. in october 1911 he and future senator selden p. spencer formed the law firm of spencer & donnell. donnell married hilda hays in 1913. they would have two children: ruth and john lanier. in 1917 he was president of the association of young republicans of missouri; in 1918-1920 as a member of the executive committee of the republican state committee of missouri; and in 1919 as president of the 28th ward republican club of st. louis. he was the city attorney of webster groves, missouri, a suburb southwest of st. louis city. ==governor== he was elected governor of missouri in 1940 and served one term from 1941 and 1945. donnell was the first republican governor after the collapse of the thomas pendergast political machine
1884_births 1980_deaths American_people_of_Irish_descent Burials_at_Bellefontaine_Cemetery Governors_of_Missouri Missouri_Republicans People_from_Nodaway_County,_Missouri People_from_Webster_Groves,_Missouri Republican_Party_United_States_Senators Republican_Party_state_governors_of_the_United_States United_States_Senators_from_Missouri University_of_Missouri_alumni