V. John Krehbiel

Victor John Krehbiel (1905–1997) was the head of the Republican Party of California, and served as the American ambassador to Finland (1973–1975), a position he was accused of buying with campaign contributions. He was appointed to other political positions by both the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations. Early life and education Krehbiel was born on a horse farm near Hutchinson, Kansas. He attended McPherson High School in McPherson, Kansas but graduated from Hutchinson High School (Kansas) in Hutchinson, Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas. Krehbiel was married Betty, and the pair moved to Pasadena, California. Career In 1943, he joined Aetna Life Insurance, and in 1943 earned the Chartered Life Underwriter, which is the equivalent of a master's degree in insurance. President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him to the US trade mission in Germany, In 1955, he succeeded in requiring the adoption of loyalty oaths by state office holders as well as Republican committee members, and continued to assail Democrats for their opposition to loyalty oaths for many years. His term as the head of the California Republican party was controversial for several reasons, including accusations that he was brainwashing other Republican operatives, and he in turn accused Goodwin Knight of attempting blackmail to get Nixon to drop out of the race. He accused California Governor Edmund Brown of having a secret cabinet in 1961. In 1961, he spearheaded a referendum campaign to oppose the California's redistricting. which he characterized as unlawful gerrymandering. In 1962, He was an early backer of Nixon's run for governor, and made headlines with his denunciation of Freedom Riders. In 1968, he discussed ambassadorships with Nixon, expressing an interest in Finland, Luxembourg, and Costa Rica. to the President's campaign in 1972. Krehbeil was appointed despite his stated dislike for the Finnish language, which he described as "an impossible language.

In a January 1974 meeting with Vice President Gerald Ford, Krehbeil stated he was working to increase trade between Finland and the United States and discussed issues regarding relationships with the Soviet Union, Finland and the United States.