George Dern
| George Dern | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 52nd United States Secretary of War | |
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In office March 4, 1933 – August 27, 1936 |
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| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Patrick J. Hurley |
| Succeeded by | Harry H. Woodring |
| 6th Governor of Utah | |
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In office January 5, 1925 – January 2, 1933 |
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| Preceded by | Charles R. Mabey |
| Succeeded by | Henry H. Blood |
| Member of the Utah Senate | |
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In office 1914-1923 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Henry Dern September 8, 1872 Dodge County, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | August 27, 1936 (aged 63) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Charlotte "Lottie" Brown (1899–1936) |
| Children | 6 |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
| Religion | Congregationalist |
George Henry Dern (September 8, 1872 – August 27, 1936) was an American politician, mining man, and businessman. He is probably best remembered for co-inventing the Holt–Dern ore roasting process, as well as for his tenure as United States Secretary of War from 1933 to his death in 1936. He also served as the sixth Governor of Utah for eight years, from 1925 to 1933. Dern was a progressive politician who fought for tax reform, public education, and social welfare. He was an exceptional public speaker, able to captivate and entertain his audience, whether they were Progressives, Democrats, or Republicans.
George Henry Dern was born in Dodge County, Nebraska on September 8, 1872. He was the son of John Dern, a pioneering Nebraska farmer, mine operator, and industrialist, and Elizabeth, whose maiden name was the same as her married name, Dern. His parents were German immigrants. John was president of the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company and no doubt had a profound influence on George, who would follow in his father’s footsteps when he entered the mining business. Dern graduated from Nebraska's Fremont Normal College in 1888 and from 1893 to 1894 attended the University of Nebraska. Dern was also a talented athlete, serving as the University’s football captain during that time. In 1894 he accompanied his family to Salt Lake City, joining the Mercur Gold Mining and Milling Company, which his father served as president. Rising rapidly from bookkeeper to company treasurer, he was promoted in 1901 to general manager of the company, which had been reorganized as the Consolidated Mercur Gold Mines Company. Dern was co-inventor of the Holt-Dern roaster, a furnace for carrying out the Holt-Christenson roasting process, a technique for recovering silver from low-grade ores. Mercur Gold Mining and Milling shut down in 1913, however Dern’s experience and passion for mining would be reflected later on in his political career. On June 7, 1899, in Fremont, Dodge County, Nebraska, he married Charlotte "Lottie" Brown and had six living children altogether: (Mary J. (1902), John H.(1904), William B. (1907), Margaret (1909), Elizabeth (1915), and James G. (1916), all were married up until the time of his death in 1936. Lottie died on September 5, 1952 in Chicago, and is buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dern entered politics in 1914, running on a Democratic and Progressive fusion ticket in a Utah state senate district encompassing Salt Lake County. He was elected in 1914, serving until 1923 in the state senate, where he was twice selected as Democratic floor leader. His tenure there was marked by strong advocacy of progressive legislation, including a landmark mineral leasing act that leased, rather than sold, Utah's mineral rights to private concerns. Dern gained the Democratic nomination for governor in 1924, and during the campaign he received backing from the Utah Progressive party and an endorsement from Progressive presidential candidate Robert La Follette. Challenging incumbent Republican governor Charles R. Mabey, Dern ran on the catchy slogan "We want a Dern good governor, and we don't mean Mabey." At the time, Utah was extremely Republican oriented. This was largely due to the high concentration of Mormons, typically having conservative republican viewpoints, living in the area. Although George Dern was neither a Republican nor a Mormon, he won by a plurality of 10,000 votes, 81,308 to 72,127, while the Republicans carried all the other statewide offices by a margin of 30,000 votes. Dern obviously had an incredible knack for reaching across party lines, a skill that is highly desirable when running in a minority party. Dern’s ability in this area can be attributed to his outgoing, open-minded and empathetic personality.
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