James W. Long
J. W. Long | |
|---|---|
| 24th Iowa State Auditor | |
| In office January 1, 1927 – April 21, 1932 | |
| Governor | John Hammill Dan W. Turner |
| Preceded by | J. C. McClune |
| Succeeded by | C. Fred Porter |
| Decatur County Supervisor | |
| In office 1907–1913 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Wilson Long June 26, 1873 Ellston, Ringgold County, Iowa |
| Died | March 24, 1966 (aged 92) Palo Alto, California |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Emma M. Laney (m. 1898) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Simpson College Western Normal College |
James Wilson Long (June 26, 1873 – March 24, 1966) was the Iowa State Auditor from 1927 to 1932.[1]
Early life
Long was born in 1873 in Ellston, Iowa to Lewis Trescott Long and Elizabeth S. (Smith) Long.[1] He graduated from Simpson College.[1] Then in 1896, he graduated from Western Normal College in Shenandoah, Iowa.[1]
He then taught for two years, then as Superintendent of City Schools for another five years.[1]
Political career
In 1906, he was elected as County Supervisor in Decatur.[1] He was re-elected in 1908 and 1910.[1] In 1916, he moved to Ames.[1] He was a traveling salesman, selling county supplies until 1926.[1]
State Auditor
In November 1926, he was elected as Iowa State Auditor.[1] He served in this position until his suspension in 1932 by Governor Dan W. Turner.
Investigation
The commission, formed on February 22, 1932, was composed of former Governor Beryl F. Carroll along with two public accountants, F. J. Harrigan and F. W. Sprung.[2][3][4] Carroll was appointed by Governor Turner.[2] They also consulted with Iowa Attorney General John Fletcher and Budget office director Oscar Anderson.[2] Others involved were Edwin C. Thayer, attorney for Long, Assistant Attorney General Carl J. Stephens, attorney for the commission, and Lois Grimm as stenographer.[3][4] James Risden, Chief of the Bureau of Investigation for the Iowa Department of Justice, assigned three special agents to the investigation.[4] 22 witness were called, with the testimony covering 1,035 pages.[4]
The charges included $4,720.53 worth of misappropriated funds, including personal and political trips and overcharging counties for audits, including Poweshiek County and Hamilton County.[5] It also found that another official, J. V. Lemley, collected $407.27 from the state for political trips.[3] The commission also reported that Long's response to these charges were "...in general not responsive, indefinite, and evasive."[3][4] The political trips were made between September 24, 1929 and May 21, 1930.[3] Long's family also charged for typing services that could have been done by state employees.[3] No forgeries were detected during the investigation.[3] In Poweshiek County, approved an overpayment settlement,[3] while in Hamilton County, 4 pages were removed from an audit and under charged for an audit by around $1,000.[3][4]
The commission delivered the report to Governor Turner on April 18, 1932.[5]
Suspension, removal and replacement
On April 23, 1932, Governor Turner suspended Long from office following the release of a commission report on his activities of misconduct.[5][6][7][8][9]
Personal life
He married Emma M. Laney on June 22, 1898, and together had 4 children.[1][10][11]
In 1936, they moved to Davis, California, where Long became a real estate and insurance agent.[10]
He died in Palo Alto, California on March 24, 1966, at age 92.[10] Emma died on March 15, 1969 in Menlo Park, California, aged 94.[11]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l J. W. Long (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c "B. F. Carroll Heads Probe". The Des Moines Tribune. February 22, 1932. p. 3. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Auditor Long Suspended-Called "Equally Guilty"". The Des Moines Register. April 21, 1932. p. 7. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Text of Long Investigating Committee's Report To Governor Turner-Expense Claims Deemed Illegal". The Des Moines Register. April 21, 1932. p. 8. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c "State Auditor Held Guilty In Cost Juggling". The Des Moines Register. April 21, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "Takes Place For Rest of Long's Term". The Des Moines Tribune. April 21, 1932. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ^ "Found Guilty of "Padding" His Expenses". The Sioux City Journal. April 21, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "Trips About State Brings His Removal". The Daily Times. April 21, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ "C. F. Porter Appointed to Position". The Muscatine Journal. April 21, 1932. p. 1. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b c "J. W. Long". Davis Enterprise. March 28, 1966. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
- ^ a b "Emma Long". Davis Enterprise. March 17, 1969. Retrieved July 11, 2025.