George E. Leach

Major General George Emerson Leach (July 14, 1876 – July 17, 1955) was a United States Army Major General and two-time Republican Mayor of Minneapolis.

Early life
George Emerson Leach was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on July 14, 1876. He was raised in Minneapolis, graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1897, and began a career in the insurance business.

Start of military career
In April, 1905 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Field Artillery in the Minnesota National Guard.

Leach advanced through the ranks in command and staff assignments. He graduated from the United States Army Command and General Staff College in 1916. In 1916 and 1917 he saw active duty on the United States–Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition, first as a Major, and later Colonel and commander of the 151st Artillery Regiment.

World War I
During World War I Leach commanded the 151st Field Artillery Regiment, 42nd Infantry Division, and took part in the battles at Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne.

Post World War I
After the war Leach remained in command of the 151st Field Artillery until November, 1921. He also resumed his work in the insurance business as a manager for the St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company.

Mayor of Minneapolis
In June, 1921 Leach was elected Mayor of Minneapolis. He entered the race as a conservative, and was reelected in 1923, but in his second term his opponents accused him of being a communist because he opposed private ownership of an electric power dam on the Mississippi River.

At the same time, the Ku Klux Klan was growing in Minnesota within the ranks of several fraternal orders, primarily the Masons and Shriners. Although Leach was a member of several such organizations, and the Klan initially saw him as a de facto ally, they later regarded him as an adversary because he had appointed a Catholic as his secretary and had dined with the Knights of Columbus. The Klan also disliked Leach because he prevented police officers from joining the Klan, and because he launched an investigation into Klan activity at the University of Minnesota.

The Klan fielded its Exalted Cyclops, Roy Miner, as a mayoral candidate against Leach in 1925. Miner campaigned on the issues of eliminating illegal gambling and vice, which he claimed Leach abetted. In addition, the Klan found a woman in a local jail who claimed she had had an affair with Leach, and publicized the charge in an effort to enmesh Leach in a scandal.

A grand jury decided that the story of the affair was criminally libelous. The case went to trial and Floyd B. Olson handled the prosecution against five Klan leaders. The witness admitted that she had lied about Leach, and Leach denied both the affair and the charges of protecting vice and gambling. The jury, all Protestants, found the Klan members guilty and sentenced them to prison. Leach won a landslide reelection against the Klan's stand-in for Miner, Senator William A. Campbell.

In 1926 Leach was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor. He was reelected Mayor in 1927, but was defeated for reelection in 1929.

Chief of the National Guard Bureau
In 1923 Leach was promoted to Brigadier General as commander of Minnesota's 59th Field Artillery Brigade.

In 1931 he was appointed Chief of the National Guard Bureau and promoted to Major General. He served in this position until 1935.

After serving as Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Leach returned to command of the 59th Field Artillery Brigade, reverting to his permanent rank of Brigadier General.

In 1937 he was elected President of the National Guard Association of the United States.

Return to Mayor's office
In 1937 Leach was again elected Mayor. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Minnesota in 1938. He was reelected Mayor in 1939, and served until 1941.

World War II
From 1940 until his retirement in 1941 Leach was commander of the 34th Infantry Division again receiving promotion to Major General. Under his command the division was activated and began its initial preparations and training for entry into World War II.

Awards and decorations
Leach's awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal and Purple Heart in addition to other service and achievement awards.

Later life
Leach operated a vending machine company, George E. Leach, Inc., and was Chairman of the National Automatic Merchandising Association.

Amateur sports affiliation
Leach was an avid skier. In 1924 he managed the U.S. Olympic Ski Team, and he was the National Ski Association's representative to the 1924 convention which led to the creation of the International Ski Federation.

Death and burial
Leach died in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 1955. He was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Section D.S., Site 65-N.

Legacy
Leach is a member of the U.S. Ski and Snowbard Hall of Fame.

The George E. Leach Range and Leach Avenue at Camp Ripley are named for him.