Thursday, March 22, 2018

What in the world happened to Berry F. Halden?

1936 Campaign illustration for Chariton's Berry F. Halden.


Chariton Herald-Patriot editor and publisher Berry F. Halden, a youthful 42, was the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate during mid-October of 1936 when he was the subject of a lengthy WHO-Radio address by Paul H. Cunningham, noted orator and Polk County representative in the Iowa Legislature. This paean to his worthiness then was published statewide.

"He is a new meteor in the political heavens," Cunningham began. "In his lustrous path he leaves a trail of Americanism. Men's hearts are warmed and their souls refreshed by the crusading spirit of this young American who has taken up the cudgel for a defense of the principles in a nation which gave him his opportunity."

Halden, perhaps, was as surprised to find himself a candidate for U.S. Senate that fall as Iowa Republicans had been to have the opportunity to elect him.

Four years earlier, Richard L. Murphy, of Dubuque, had ridden into the Senate on the coat-tails of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was the first Iowa Democrat elected to the Senate since 1858.

But then a tragedy struck. Driving home to Dubuque from a vacation in Wisconsin on July 16, 1936, a tire blew on the Murphy sedan near Chippewa Falls, it plunged down an embankment and the senator was killed.

Democrats nominated U.S. Rep. Guy M. Gillette to seek the balance of Murphy's unexpired term, but Republicans found themselves at something of a loss.

Then someone remembered Berry F. Halden. He had delivered a highly acclaimed keynote address during the Republican state convention earlier in the year in Des Moines and had all the characteristics of an ideal candidate --- male, young, a World War I veteran, active in the American Legion, a family man, editor of The Herald-Patriot, general manager of both the Leader and Herald-Patriot and author every week of a highly regarded and widely quoted column.

Sadly, for Halden and Iowa Republicans, Gillette went on to win the election. But the man from Chariton had put on a strong showing and obviously had a political future.

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A native of Moulton, where he was born April 13, 1894, Halden was a graduate of Moravia High School and of Iowa Wesleyan College. He had gotten his first taste of the newspaper business as a printer's devil in Moravia and, in 1915, commenced work for the Albia Newspapers as printer, then mechanical foreman and finally as news editor.

In 1917, he married Nina Hamilton of Centerville, then went off the next year to fight in World War I and was honorably discharged in 1919. The Haldens had one daughter, Maudetta. He was a Mason, a Methodist, commander of the Albia American Legion Post, vice-commander of the Iowa Legion Department and chairman of its Americanism Committee. Who could have asked for more?

During 1930, Berry was promoted and placed in charge of the Chariton Newspapers and established a record of community service in his new hometown --- Mason, Methodist and Legionnaire again, now a Rotarian, too.

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Although Halden was not selected to run against Gillette --- easily re-elected in 1938 --- he continued to rise in state Republican circles by making himself useful and doing what was asked of him, while continuing to edit The Herald-Patriot. He was an able organizer, publicist and campaigner.

During late January of 1939, after having resigned his editorship at mid-month to make it possible, Halden received his political reward --- appointment by Gov. George Wilson as secretary of the Iowa Executive Council, consisting of the governor, secretaries of state and agriculture, state treasurer and state auditor.

The Council had a wide range of duties, including making all purchases for state agencies. It was, in fact, kind of a shadow state government and none too forthcoming about its activities when confidentiality served its needs. Halden himself, as Executive Council secretary, also served as secretary of the Iowa Conservation Commission and of the state Board of Engineering Examiners.

Now positioned at the highest level of state government, Berry's future looked bright.

But within two years, his career crashed and burned, his marriage apparently failed and he receded into obscurity. Some of the circumstances surrounding this remarkable fall remain a trifle obscure.

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Iowans learned that trouble was in the air on Friday morning, April 4, 1941, when The Des Moines Register (and other dailies across the state) published the news on their front pages. The Register headline read, "Halden Facing Driving Charge: State Official Posts a $500 Bond."

Here's the text:

ATLANTIC, IA --- Berry F. Halden, 46, secretary of the state executive council and a former Iowa newspaper editor, was released on a $500 bond here early Thursday after his arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Arrested with Halden, who was driving a state-owned car, was Fred Willis, a statehouse custodian. Willis was charged with being intoxicated and released on a $25 bond.

The arrests were made in the Cass county courthouse yard by Sheriff Harry Jordan, and Halden and Willis were arraigned immediately before Justice of the Peace John Budd.

State Business

The car was driven here from Des Moines Wednesday evening by George Hesalroad, state car dispatcher, who had business here. Halden and Willis rode with him.

According to authorities in the sheriff's office, Halden and Willis apparently took the car while Hesalroad was busy, and went for a ride. Hesalroad was not present at the time of the arrest and was not held.

Test Refused

Authorities also said an attorney acting for Halden refused to allow a blood-alcohol test taken.

Justice Budd set Monday as the date for Halden's and Willis' hearing, but said Thursday night the hearing probably would have to be postponed from that date until the Cass county grand jury could hear evidence in the case.

Halden was a Republican candidate for United States senator in 1936 for the unexpired term of the late/senator Louis Murphy, who died in July, 1936. Halden was defeated in the election by Senator Guy Gillette.

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Back in Des Moines on Friday, the Executive Council met and announced that it had "temporarily" suspended both Halden and Willis.

On April 19, Halden's attorney made no protest as his client was bound over to the Cass County Grand Jury for further hearing during its September term. Willis was fined $25 on the intoxication charge. Both men remained on suspension.

Four months later, during late August, Halden avoided an appearance before the grand jury by pleading guilty to the drunk driving charge and was fined $300.

For four months after that, however, the Executive Council for reasons lost to time declined to clarify Halden's status, stating only that he remained on indefinite suspension. Willis, too.

During early December, however, The Register learned from an anonymous informant that Halden had indeed been fired, a replacement selected --- and Willis restored to his custodial position at the Capitol. It reported as follows in its edition of Dec. 11:

The state executive council, meeting in secret session in a Savery hotel room Thursday, was reported to have selected a new secretary to succeed Berry Halden of Chariton.

The office has been vacant since the council suspended Halden last April following his arrest at Atlantic on charges of driving while intoxicated. Halden last August pleaded guilty and paid a $300 fine.

Although the executive council would not confirm the report Thursday, reliable sources said the man selected to succeed Halden is William Brown, Onawa newspaper man.

The council also, it is reported, decided to reinstate Fred Willis, assistant statehouse custodian, who was arrested with Halden in Atlantic last April and charged with intoxication.

Although council members always have insisted Halden merely was under suspension, it was learned Thursday that he actually was discharged some months after the suspension became effective.

State executive council records do not show the discharge. State comptroller's office records show Halden was given a two-week "vacation" pay and his name taken from the payrolls. 

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Berry and Nina Halden remained together in Des Moines through the end of World War II. She was employed by the state, too --- as a clerk in the tax department --- and continued in that position for many years to come.

In 1946, Berry moved to Chicago and never returned to Iowa again, except to visit. There is no sign that he ever re-entered public life, nor was I able to find what he did to support himself after that. Although separated, the Haldens seem not to have divorced.

During early February of 1967, The Herald-Patriot published a two-paragraph notice of Halden's death on Jan. 31, identifying him as a former editor. He had been hospitalized, according to the report, at the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Medical Center in the west Chicago metro area. He was 72. Burial was in the Camp Butler National Cemetery at Springfield, Illinois --- Halden's home seems to have been in southern Illinois at the time of his death.

Nina Halden survived for nearly 30 more years, dying at age 99 in Minneapolis on Feb. 15, 1995. Her remains were taken to Springfield and interred beside those of Berry in the national cemetery. The government-issue stone that marks her grave identifies her as his wife.





1 comment:

Brian Cooper said...

A small point, but the vehicle Louis Murphy was driving when he died was not his. It was owned by his friend Fred W. Woodward, publisher of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Woodward, Murphy and their wives were traveling together after vacationing in northern Wisconsin and returning to Dubuque. Woodward had let Murphy drive. - Brian Cooper, retired editor, Telegraph Herald.