George E . Leach Major General George Emerson Leach ( July 14 , 1876 – July 17 , 1955 ) was a United States Army Major General and two - time Republican Mayor of Minneapolis . Early life . George Emerson Leach was born in Cedar Rapids , Iowa on July 14 , 1876 . He was raised in Minneapolis , graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1897 , and began a career in the insurance business . Start of military career . In April , 1905 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery in the Minnesota National Guard . Leach advanced through the ranks in command and staff assignments . He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1916 . In 1916 and 1917 he saw active duty on the United States – Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition , first as a Major , and later Colonel and commander of the 151st Artillery Regiment . World War I . During World War I Leach commanded the 151st Field Artillery Regiment , 42nd Infantry Division , and took part in the battles at Champagne - Marne , Aisne - Marne , St . Mihiel , and Meuse - Argonne . Post World War I . After the war Leach remained in command of the 151st Field Artillery until November , 1921 . He also resumed his work in the insurance business as a manager for the St . Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company . Mayor of Minneapolis . In June , 1921 Leach was elected Mayor of Minneapolis . He entered the race as a conservative , and was reelected in 1923 , but in his second term his opponents accused him of being a communist because he opposed private ownership of an electric power dam on the Mississippi River . At the same time , the Ku Klux Klan was growing in Minnesota within the ranks of several fraternal orders , primarily the Masons and Shriners . Although Leach was a member of several such organizations , and the Klan initially saw him as a de facto ally , they later regarded him as an adversary because he had appointed a Catholic as his secretary and had dined with the Knights of Columbus . The Klan also disliked Leach because he prevented police officers from joining the Klan , and because he launched an investigation into Klan activity at the University of Minnesota . The Klan fielded its Exalted Cyclops , Roy Miner , as a mayoral candidate against Leach in 1925 . Miner campaigned on the issues of eliminating illegal gambling and vice , which he claimed Leach abetted . In addition , the Klan found a woman in a local jail who claimed she had had an affair with Leach , and publicized the charge in an effort to enmesh Leach in a scandal . A grand jury decided that the story of the affair was criminally libelous . The case went to trial and Floyd B . Olson handled the prosecution against five Klan leaders . The witness admitted that she had lied about Leach , and Leach denied both the affair and the charges of protecting vice and gambling . The jury , all Protestants , found the Klan members guilty and sentenced them to prison . Leach won a landslide reelection against the Klan ' s stand - in for Miner , Senator William A . Campbell . In 1926 Leach was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor . He was reelected Mayor in 1927 , but was defeated for reelection in 1929 . Chief of the National Guard Bureau . In 1923 Leach was promoted to Brigadier General as commander of Minnesota ' s 59th Field Artillery Brigade . In 1931 he was appointed Chief of the National Guard Bureau and promoted to Major General . He served in this position until 1935 . After serving as Chief of the National Guard Bureau , Leach returned to command of the 59th Field Artillery Brigade , reverting to his permanent rank of Brigadier General . In 1937 he was elected President of the National Guard Association of the United States . Return to Mayor ' s office . In 1937 Leach was again elected Mayor . He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Minnesota in 1938 . He was reelected Mayor in 1939 , and served until 1941 . World War II . From 1940 until his retirement in 1941 Leach was commander of the 34th Infantry Division again receiving promotion to Major General . Under his command the division was activated and began its initial preparations and training for entry into World War II . Awards and decorations . Leach ' s awards included the Distinguished Service Cross , Distinguished Service Medal and Purple Heart in addition to other service and achievement awards . Later life . Leach operated a vending machine company , George E . Leach , Inc . , and was Chairman of the National Automatic Merchandising Association . Amateur sports affiliation . Leach was an avid skier . In 1924 he managed the U . S . Olympic Ski Team , and he was the National Ski Association ' s representative to the 1924 convention which led to the creation of the International Ski Federation . Death and burial . Leach died in Los Angeles , California on July 17 , 1955 . He was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery , Section D . S . , Site 65 - N . Legacy . Leach is a member of the U . S . Ski and Snowbard Hall of Fame . The George E . Leach Range and Leach Avenue at Camp Ripley are named for him .