Alf Landon
The Kansas governor who suffered one of the most lopsided defeats in U.S. presidential history but left a legacy of pragmatic Midwestern Republicanism.
1887–1987 (age 100)·American politician·Birthday: September 9·The Lost Generation
Biography
Alf Landon's political story is forever framed by a single, staggering loss, yet his career embodied a brand of moderate conservatism that long defined his party. A successful independent oilman in Kansas, he entered politics as a fiscal expert, championing a balanced budget during the Great Depression. Elected governor in 1932, his efficient, business-like administration earned him a reputation for competence, not charisma. This made him the Republican Party's consensus nominee to challenge the towering Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936. The campaign was a mismatch; Landon's mild criticism of New Deal excesses was drowned out by FDR's popularity. He carried only two states, Vermont and Maine, in an electoral college rout. Rather than fading into bitterness, Landon remained an engaged elder statesman, later expressing support for parts of the New Deal and the Civil Rights movement, his long life serving as a bridge between Republican eras.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Alf was born in 1887, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alf Was Born
The biggest hits of 1887
Alf's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1887Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1892Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1900Became a teenager
Boxer Rebellion in China
President: William McKinley
1903Could drive
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1905Could vote
Einstein publishes the theory of special relativity
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Turned 21
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1917Turned 30
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 40
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 50
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 60
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 70
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 80
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1987Died at 100
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Served as the 26th Governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937, steering the state through the Great Depression.
- Was the Republican nominee for President in the 1936 election, losing to incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Became the longest-lived major-party presidential nominee in U.S. history, passing away at age 100.
- Was a key figure in the development of the oil industry in Kansas prior to his political career.
Did You Know?
His daughter, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, became a U.S. Senator from Kansas.
He was the first Republican governor elected in Kansas since the state's founding.
The 1936 election inspired the famous political phrase 'As Maine goes, so goes the nation,' which was reversed to 'As Maine goes, so goes Vermont' after Landon won only those two states.
He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War I.
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