Norman A. Erbe

Norman Arthur Erbe (October 25, 1919 – June 8, 2000) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 35th governor of Iowa, holding the position from 1961 to 1963.

Early life

He was born in Boone, Iowa in 1919, the last of 6 children of Rev. Otto L. Erbe and Louise J. Sestner. He graduated from Boone High School in 1937.

Iowa Attorney General

He entered state politics, first serving as Assistant Attorney General of Iowa from 1955 to 1957 and then serving as Iowa Attorney General from 1957 to 1961. In his inaugural address, he suggested in his State of the State, that the 99 county attorneys be consolidated into 21 judicial attorneys for the 21 judicial districts in Iowa and that the attorneys serve for 4 years instead of 2. He maintained a $118 million surplus in that was in the treasury.

He hosted the world premiere of the motion picture Meredith Willson's The Music Man in Mason City, Iowa during the North Iowa Band Festival on June 19, 1962 in the hometown of Meredith Willson.

Later life

In 1974, he received the Secretary of Transportation Outstanding Achievement Medal for his service to the US Government.

From 1971 to 1979, he assisted the White House in getting expedited funding for Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and the Great Lakes.

He served on the boards of the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Boone County Historical Society.

After leaving politics, he served as Executive Vice-President of the Associated Builders and Contractors in 1979. He published his memoirs, Ringside at the Fireworks, in 1997, specifically talking about his military service.

He died on June 8, 2000 of congestive heart failure. He is buried in the Linwood Park cemetery in Boone, Iowa.