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William John Bulow
United States Senator from South Dakota
In office March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1943
Preceded by	William H. McMaster
Succeeded by	Harlan J. Bushfield
12th Governor of South Dakota
In office January 4, 1927 – January 6, 1931
Lieutenant	Hyatt E. Covey Clarence E. Coyne John T. Grigsby
Preceded by	Carl Gunderson
Succeeded by	Warren Green
Member of the South Dakota Senate
In office 1899
Personal details
Born	(1869-01-13)January 13, 1869 Moscow, Ohio, U.S.
Died	February 26, 1960(1960-02-26) (aged 91) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Katherine Reedy Sarah Johnson Farrand
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Profession	Attorney

William John Bulow (January 13, 1869 – February 26, 1960) was an American politician and lawyer. He was the first Democrat to serve as Governor of South Dakota, from 1927 to 1931. He received the highest number of votes of any Democratic candidate for governor in the state up to that time. Bulow then went on to serve as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota from 1931 to 1943.

Early life

Bulow was born of German ancestry to Joseph and Elizabeth (Ebendorf) Bulow near Moscow in Clermont County, Ohio, where he was raised and educated. In 1893, he graduated with a law degree from the University of Michigan. He was twice married: to Katherine J. Reedy and to Sarah (Johnson) Farrand.

Career

During 1893, Bulow moved to South Dakota. He resided in Sioux Falls, where he worked for the Joe Kirby office. Then, he came by horse and carriage to Beresford, where he set up his own law office and helped to develop the town. He was elected to the state senate of the South Dakota Legislature in 1898. While residing in Beresford, Bulow spent twenty-five years as city attorney from 1902 to 1927, except while serving as mayor from 1912 to 1913. He also served as County Judge for Beresford in 1918.

In 1924, following the death of the Democratic Party's gubernatorial nominee, Bulow was selected as the Party's replacement nominee. Bulow lost the general election in a landslide to Republican Lieutenant Governor Carl Gunderson as a Farmer–Labor Party candidate siphoned off a significant share of the left-leaning vote. In 1926, Bulow defeated Gunderson for re-election, and he was re-elected in 1928. As governor, he pardoned the famous frontier gambler Poker Alice after her conviction of bootlegging and other charges related to running a house of prostitution.

In 1930, rather than seek re-election as Governor, Bulow ran for the U.S. Senate, and he narrowly defeated incumbent Senator William H. McMaster in the general election. He was narrowly re-elected in 1936. In 1942, however, Bulow faced strong opposition in the Democratic primary due to his opposition to the foreign policy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He lost renomination to former Governor Tom Berry in a landslide.

During his entire life, Bulow kept a legal residence in Beresford, South Dakota and voted by absentee ballot. After his loss in 1942, Bulow retired and spent the rest of his life residing in Washington, D.C. Bulow spent his last few years in failing health and was blind during his last four years. He was a member of the Alfalfa Club.

Beresford honored William J. Bulow in 1959 during the town's seventy-five year jubilee observance. The city's park was dedicated as "Bulow Park" on June 3, 1959.

Death and legacy

Almost nine months later, Bulow died in Washington, D.C.; his body was returned to Beresford for burial at the St. John Catholic Cemetery, where he was interred next to his first wife, Katherine (Reedy) Bulow. Years later, Bulow's house in Beresford, South Dakota was declared a historic landmark (Governor William J. Bulow House).

References

1. ^ South Dakota Manual, 1927, p.235
2. "William J. Bulow". National Governors Association. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
3. "William J. Bulow". National Governors Association. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
4. "Democrats Select Bulow to Run Against Gunderson in Fall Race For Governor of State: Union County Man Chosen by Huron Meeting". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, S.D. August 21, 1924. p. 2. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
5. Alfalfa Club

External links

• United States Congress. "William J. Bulow (id: B001055)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Listing for William J. Bulow's home on the National Register of Historic Places
• National Governors Association

v t e Governors and lieutenant governors of South Dakota
Governors	Mellette Sheldon Lee Herreid Elrod Crawford Vessey Byrne Norbeck McMaster Gunderson Bulow Green Berry Jensen Bushfield Sharpe G.T. Mickelson Anderson Foss Herseth Gubbrud Boe Farrar Kneip Wollman Janklow G.S. Mickelson Miller Janklow Rounds Daugaard Noem
Lieutenant governors	Fletcher Hoffman Herreid Hindman Kean Snow McDougall Shober Byrne Abel Norbeck McMaster Gunderson Forney Covey Coyne J. Grigsby Whitney Ustrud Peterson McMurchie A. Miller S. Grigsby Terry Houck Lindley Bottum Boe Overpeck Abdnor Dougherty Wollman Hansen W. Miller Kirby Hillard Daugaard Michels Rhoden

v t e United States senators from South Dakota
Class 2	Pettigrew Gamble Sterling McMaster Bulow H. Bushfield V. Bushfield Mundt Abourezk Pressler T. Johnson Rounds
Class 3	Moody Kyle Kittredge Crawford E. Johnson Norbeck Hitchcock Pyle Gurney Case Bottum McGovern Abdnor Daschle Thune

v t e Chairmen of the United States Senate Committee on Post Office and Civil Service
Post Office and Post Roads (1816–1947)	Wilson Stokes Lanman Johnson Bibb Grundy Robinson Henderson Merrick Niles Rusk Yulee Gwin Collamer Dixon Ramsey Hamlin Ferry Maxey Ferry Hill Conger Sawyer Vilas Wolcott Mason Penrose Bourne Bankhead Townsend Sterling Moses Phipps Oddie McKellar Chávez
Civil Service and Retrenchment (1873–1921)	Wright Clayton Blaine Teller Butler Hawley Chace Wolcott Call Jarvis Pritchard Baker Perkins Cummins Pomerene McKellar Sterling
Civil Service (1921–1947)	Sterling Stanfield Couzens Dale Bulow Downey
Post Office and Civil Service (1947–1977)	Langer Johnston Carlson Johnston Monroney McGee

• 1869 births
• 1960 deaths
• 20th-century mayors of places in South Dakota
• People from Clermont County, Ohio
• American people of German descent
• American Lutherans
• Democratic Party United States senators from South Dakota
• Democratic Party governors of South Dakota
• Democratic Party South Dakota state senators
• South Dakota state court judges
• Politicians from Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• People from Beresford, South Dakota
• South Dakota lawyers
• University of Michigan Law School alumni
• 20th-century United States senators
• 19th-century members of the South Dakota Legislature