branch lieutenant death_date birth_date term_end alma_mater death_place profession battles order term_start spouse image rank name resting_place predecessor birth_place party office governor successor religion article_title
united states army crawford f. parker 30 august 1972 november 27 , 1909 january 9 , 1961 january 14 , 1957 1952 1942 indiana university rawlins , wyoming salesman world war ii 40th january 14 , 1957 january 12 , 1953 1949 1940 barbara winterble gov harold willis handley of indiana.gif lieutenant colonel harold willis handley pine lake cemetery george n. craig rue j. alexander laporte , indiana republican governor state senator of indiana 39th lieutenant governor of indiana indiana george n. craig matthew e. welsh crawford f. parker presbyterian harold w. handley

harold w. handley

harold willis handley -lrb- november 27 , 1909 - august 30 , 1972 -rrb- was the 40th governor of the u.s. state of indiana from 1957 to 1961 .
a veteran of world war ii , and furniture salesman by trade , handley began his political career as a state senator .
thanks to his longtime friendship with state party leader and united states senator william e. jenner , he was able to secure the nomination to run for lieutenant governor in 1952 , during which time he opposed many of the actions of governor george n. craig .
his popularity rose among the conservative leadership of the indiana republican party and aided him in winning the nomination and subsequent election as governor in 1956 .
he was elected during a period of conservative domination of the state government .
he successfully implemented major parts of his party 's agenda that affected the state for decades .
after raising the gasoline tax 50 % to balance the state budget , his opponents branded him `` high tax harold '' , ignoring the fact that he also eliminated state property taxes .
his launched an unprecedented mid-term campaign for a united states senate seat , but ended in defeat and he finished his term as governor .
he personally advocated mental health reform in indiana and after leaving office he remained active in several charities that helped the mentally disabled , winning a drummer boy award in 1970 .
he operated a successful public relations business in indianapolis for several years and in 1969 served on the constitutional revision committee that authored a set of major amendments to the state constitution .
