Nye, Frank T

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The Palimpsest

Organization of the Assembly

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Volume 40 | Number 11 Article 3
11-1-1959
Organization of the Assembly
Frank T. Nye
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Nye, Frank T. "Organization of the Assembly." The Palimpsest 40 (1959), 490-497.
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Organization of the Assembly
Despite heavy 1958 election losses, Republicans 
won enough seats to retain control of both houses 
in the 58th General Assembly. However, the sit­
uation differed in one respect from 1957. Instead 
of a Republican, the people had elected a Demo­
crat, former Senator Edward J. McManus of Keo­
kuk, as Lieutenant Governor and President of the 
Senate.
This posed a delicate problem for the Repub­
lican-controlled Senate. Custom called for the 
Lieutenant Governor to appoint Senate standing 
committees. Yet a bow to custom would have 
prevented Republicans from controlling commit­
tees which decide the fate of much legislation.
The 1937 Republican-controlled Senate, faced 
with the same problem, stripped another Demo­
cratic Lieutenant Governor of the appointive power 
and gave it to a “committee on committees com­
posed entirely of Republican Senators. The 1939 
Republican-controlled Senate followed suit, even 
though the Lieutenant Governor that year was a 
Republican, in a move to make it appear that there 
had been nothing partisan in the 1937 action.
Now, twenty years later, history repeated itself. 
Some Republican senators, recalling that the pre­
vious actions had caused dissention within party 
ranks among those unhappy with committee as­
signments handed them by fellow Republicans, 
elected to work out a compromise with the incom­
ing Lieutenant Governor this time. They wanted 
a voice in appointing committees in return for 
leaving the appointive authority in his hands.
Consequently, a Republican delegation of sen­
ators met with the Lieutenant Governor-Elect in 
Des Moines on December 7. He proposed that 
he be given authority to appoint a majority to five 
of the fifteen most important committees. The 
Republican delegation would not agree, nor could 
its members persuade Lieutenant Governor-Elect 
McManus to go along with their proposition. 
They so reported to a pre-legislative Republican 
Senate caucus in Des Moines on December 13. 
This caucus ratified the delegation's position and 
authorized appointment of a Republican commit­
tee on committees with power to make standing 
committee assignments.
The committee on committees included one Sen­
ator from each of the eight congressional districts 
as follows: First — Jack Schroeder of Daven­
port; Second — David O. Shaff of Clinton; Third 
— J. Kendall Lynes of Plainfield; Fourth — X. T. 
Prentis of Mount Ayr; Fifth — Carl Ringgenberg 
of Ames; Sixth — Guy G. Butler of Rolfe; Sev-
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSEMBLY 491
492 THE PALIMPSEST
enth — Jim O. Henry of Carson; Eighth — J. T. 
Dykhouse of Rock Rapids.
It was decided that the two-to-one ratio existing 
between Republicans (33) and Democrats (17) 
in the Senate should be reflected on committees. 
Moreover, Democratic Senators were invited to 
select their own members for each committee.
However, Senate Democrats, caucusing Decem­
ber 18 in Des Moines, rejected the invitation. 
They said appointments should be made by the 
incoming Lieutenant Governor and, while they did 
not have the numerical strength to vote him the 
proper authority, they intended to entrust him with 
the task of assigning Democratic Senators to the 
various committees.
Meanwhile, at their December 13 caucus which 
was closed to the press, Republican Senators 
chose Senator Schroeder as majority leader. Serv­
ing his fifth session, Senator Schroeder was not 
only the youngest of the 50 senators, he was also 
believed to be the youngest Senate leader in Iowa 
history. Republicans also nominated Senator 
Lynes, a farmer serving his tenth session, for 
President Pro Tempore.
Senate Democrats did not elect a minority 
leader at their caucus, which was open to the 
press, but later they re-elected Senator George E. 
O ’Malley, Des Moines attorney, to the post. He 
was beginning his sixth term.
House Republicans, caucusing December 13 at
the Hotel Kirkwood in Des Moines, wasted little 
time nominating Representative Vem Lisle, Cla- 
rinda manufacturer, starting his sixth term, as 
their candidate for Speaker.
He defeated Representative LeRoy Chalupa, 
Pleasant Plain merchant, 46 to 11 on the only 
ballot. Representatives Robert E. Maggert of Af- 
ton and Robert W . Naden of Webster City were 
not present for the vote, but the former made it 
as the first ballot for Speaker Pro Tempore got 
under way, and the latter arrived in time for the 
second and deciding ballot.
The race for Speaker Pro Tempore was among 
Representatives J. Henry Lucken, Akron farmer; 
Neil E. Johns, Toledo farmer, and Paul Walter, 
Union farmer. Representative John Mowry, Mar­
shalltown attorney, received some votes though 
not a candidate. This added a touch of humor to 
the situation, since he was serving as a teller when 
the votes were counted.
With 31 votes needed for nomination, Repre­
sentative Lucken won on the second ballot. The 
vote:
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSEMBLY 493
1st 2nd
C and ida te  B allo t B allo t
Lucken ...............................  24 31
Johns .................................  22 20
W a l t e r ...............................  8 4
M owry ............................. 4 4
Republicans then elected Representative Clark
494 THE PALIMPSEST
H. McNeal, Belmond real estate man and grain 
dealer, as majority leader. He defeated Repre­
sentative A. L. Mensing, retired businessman from 
Lowden, 38 to 20. Representative Mowry, not a 
candidate, received one vote.
Representative Mensing then was elected unan­
imously as assistant floor leader, a new post cre­
ated by the caucus.
In each case where balloting was necessary, 
losing candidates moved to make elections unan­
imous. This done, winners and losers joined in 
statements that harmony and togetherness were 
necessary if the party was to present a united 
front.
Representative Lisle thanked the caucus for vot­
ing him “the greatest honor of my life,“ and re­
called that less than ten years ago there were only 
three Democrats among the 108 House members. 
He reminded colleagues that the division had nar­
rowed each year, cautioning: “W e will need the 
cooperation of all Republicans this time.“
One more ballot was necessary. It had been 
generally assumed that the position of Chief Clerk 
of the House would go uncontested to William R. 
Kendrick, Des Moines public relations counsel, 
who had assisted the late Chief Clerk A. C. Gust­
afson for ten years and had completed the latter s 
term in 1957-1959. But a last-minute entry was 
former Representative Dewey E. Goode, sixty, 
Bloomfield produce dealer, who lost his bid for re-
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSEMBLY 495
election in 1958. Representative Lisle spoke for 
Goode, observing “there is a real need to have a 
parliamentarian who could keep us out of trouble“ 
on the job of Chief Clerk. But despite his plea, 
Kendrick won the nomination handily, 43 to 16.
House Democrats caucused at the Hotel Savery 
in Des Moines on December 18 with Representa­
tive Merle W . Hagedorn, Royal farmer and 1957 
leader, presiding. Representative Scott Swisher, 
Iowa City attorney, defeated Representative 
Howard C. Reppert, Jr., Des Moines transfer 
company president, for minority leader. Only one 
ballot was taken, and Representative Hagedorn, 
refusing the request of reporters to announce the 
result, declared Representative Swisher elected 
and, upon Representative Reppert’s motion, elected 
unanimously.
Representative Swisher promised to do “every­
thing I can to get the Governor’s program and the 
Democratic program through the House.” He 
announced plans to form “a so-called board of 
directors” to work with him “to go over the 
Governor’s program, to promote it and to put it 
through/'
Governor Loveless appeared briefly to congrat­
ulate Democrats on their success at the polls. He 
reminded each that “your obligation is not to 
any one select group but to every individual in 
your county.”
With pre-session formalities ended, it was only
496 THE PALIMPSEST
a matter of awaiting the fall of the gavels to start 
the session. In the House the gavel fell at 10 a.m. 
on January 12. It was wielded by Representative 
Reppert, senior member from Polk County. After 
opening ceremonies, which included the election 
of Kendrick as acting Chief Clerk, Representa­
tive Mensing took over as Temporary Speaker.
When members were sworn in, Representative 
George Paul of Brooklyn nominated Representa­
tive Lisle for Speaker. The nomination was sec­
onded by Representative Neal Pierce for the 
Republicans, and Representative Swisher for the 
Democrats, who did not put up a candidate. Rep­
resentative Lisle was elected unanimously and 
immediately took the oath. Within minutes he 
electrified the House by breaking a long-time prec­
edent. He appointed standing committees. It 
was the first time it ever had been done, to any­
one’s knowledge, on opening day. It got the ses­
sion off to a fast start.
In the Senate, retiring Lieutenant Governor 
William H. Nicholas of Mason City, rapped 
members to order at 10:10 a.m. During opening 
ceremonies, Speaker Lynes was elected unani­
mously as President Pro Tempore after adoption 
of temporary rules which included one important 
change — committee meetings would be open to 
newsmen.
Notice of five election contests were filed on 
opening day. In the Senate former Representative
Blythe C. Conn, Burlington Republican, brought 
a contest for the seat of Senator Carl Hoschek, 
Burlington Democrat. House contests were 
brought by: George Good, Newhall Democrat, 
for the seat of Representative Jack Milroy, Vin­
ton Republican; former Representative T. J. Frey, 
Neola Republican, for the seat of either Repre­
sentative Jack Rooney or Representative Gilbert 
E. Klefstad, both Council Bluffs Democrats; Cecil 
V. Lutz, Osceola Republican, for the seat of Rep­
resentative Stanley W atts, Murray Democrat; 
and Clarence E. Lohff, Holstein Democrat, for 
the seat of Representative Bert Fairchild, Ida 
Grove Republican.
By mid-session all contests were decided in 
favor of the incumbents excepting Representative 
W atts who was unseated by Contestant Lutz, 
changing the party division from 59-49 to 60-48 
for the Republicans. This table shows the divi­
sion for the last four sessions:
H o u se  S e n a te  T o ta l
R ep . D em . R ep . D em . R ep . D em .
ORGANIZATION OF THE ASSEMBLY 497
1953 .............  105 3 46 4 151 7
1955 ............. 89 19 44 6 133 25
1957 ...............  72 36 40 10 112 46
1959 ...............  60 48 33 17 93 65
In six years Democrats had gained fifty-eight 
seats.
F r a n k  T. N y e


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