Ernest McFarland

Ernest McFarland was an American politician and jurist who served as a United States Senator from Arizona, the tenth Governor of Arizona, and later as Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the only Arizonan to have held all three of the state's highest offices. McFarland was a key architect of the G.I. Bill and a prominent figure in the development of water rights and reclamation projects in the American Southwest.

Early life and education

Ernest William McFarland was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma Territory, to William Harrison McFarland and Missouri Ann McFarland. After attending local schools, he earned a teaching certificate from East Central University in Ada and taught in rural schools. He later attended the University of Oklahoma, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1917. Following service as a Lieutenant (junior grade) in the United States Navy during World War I, he moved west, earning a Bachelor of Laws from Stanford University in 1921. He was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona and began practicing law in Casa Grande, eventually becoming the Pinal County Attorney.

Political career

McFarland's political career began with his election as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1940, defeating incumbent Henry Fountain Ashurst. During his two terms, he served on influential committees including the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on the Judiciary. His most significant legislative achievement was co-authoring the landmark Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill. As chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, he also helped draft the Communications Act of 1952. McFarland served as Senate Majority Whip from 1949 to 1951 and was elected President pro tempore of the United States Senate during the 82nd United States Congress. He was defeated for re-election in 1952 by Barry Goldwater.

Governor of Arizona

Elected Governor of Arizona in 1954, McFarland served a single term from 1955 to 1959. His administration focused on economic development, infrastructure, and resource management. He championed the construction of the Central Arizona Project, a massive federal reclamation initiative to bring Colorado River water to central Arizona, and worked to secure funding through the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Other priorities included expanding the state's highway system, increasing funding for Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, and promoting industrial growth. He chose not to seek re-election in 1958, returning to his private law practice in Phoenix.

Later life and legacy

After leaving the governor's office, McFarland remained active in public service. In 1964, he was elected to the Arizona Supreme Court and served as its Chief Justice from 1968 to 1970, authoring several notable opinions on water law. He retired from the bench in 1971. McFarland's legacy is honored by the Ernest W. McFarland State Park in Florence, the McFarland Historical State Park, and the Ernest McFarland Building in Phoenix. He died in Phoenix in 1984 and is interred at the Arizona State Cemetery. He is remembered as one of Arizona's most influential public servants, whose work on the G.I. Bill and western water policy had a lasting national impact.

Category:1894 births Category:1984 deaths Category:Governors of Arizona Category:United States senators from Arizona Category:Arizona Democrats Category:Chief justices of the Arizona Supreme Court