Francis E. McGovern

Francis E. McGovern
McGovern in 1910
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office
September 12, 1911  November 10, 1914
Preceded byAugustus E. Willson
Succeeded byDavid I. Walsh
22nd Governor of Wisconsin
In office
January 2, 1911  January 4, 1915
LieutenantThomas Morris
Preceded byJames O. Davidson
Succeeded byEmanuel L. Philipp
Personal details
Born(1866-01-21)January 21, 1866
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedMay 16, 1946(1946-05-16) (aged 80)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placeForest Home Cemetery
Political partyRepublican (Before 1934)
Democratic (1934–1946)
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin (BA)
Signature

Francis Edward McGovern (January 21, 1866  May 16, 1946) was an American lawyer and politician from Wisconsin. He served as the 22nd governor of Wisconsin from 1911 to 1915. In 1911 especially he sponsored a major series of progressive achievements through the legislature.

Through most of his life, he was a member of the Republican Party; he was originally a close ally of Wisconsin U.S. senator Robert M. "Fighting Bob" La Follettethe two progressive leaders held an uneasy truce for McGovern's reelection in 1912 but became bitter rivals afterward. La Follette helped defeat McGovern in his bid for U.S. Senate in 1914, and McGovern then lost the 1916 Republican gubernatorial primary. After those losses, he largely retired from politics. Later in life, McGovern left the Republican Party and became a Democrat.