Herschel C. Loveless

Herschel Cellel Loveless (May 5, 1911 – May 4, 1989) was an American politician who served as the 34th governor of Iowa, from 1957 to 1961.

Early life Loveless was born in Hedrick, Iowa.

Political career

Mayoralty 1949-1953

Loveless served as mayor of Ottumwa from 1949 until 1953.

Two years later, he ran unsuccessfully to represent Iowa's 4th congressional district in the U.S. House, losing to incumbent Karl M. LeCompte.

Governorship (1957-1961)

Loveless ran again for the governorship in 1956. He won the Democratic primary against Lawrence E. Palmer, then defeated incumbent Governor Leo Hoegh in the general election by 29,469 votes.

In 1961, Loveless was appointed to by President John F. Kennedy to the Federal Renegotiation Board and he stayed on the board until 1969. In 1969, he became a vice president for government affairs for the Chromalloy Corporation, an Iowa soft drink manufacturer. He left this position in 1978 and moved to the outskirts of Washington D.C.

Later life

He died of lung cancer on May 4, 1989, one day before his 78th birthday, in Winchester, Virginia. He was buried in Ottumwa Cemetery. His wife, Amelia, died in 2007, aged 93.