Edward H. Kruse

Edward Herman Kruse (October 22, 1918 – January 4, 2000) was an American lawyer, World War II veteran, and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1949 to 1951. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented his Indiana constituents in Congress during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process in the early years of the post–World War II era.

Kruse was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on October 22, 1918. He was educated in the public schools of his hometown and attended South Side High School in Fort Wayne. After completing his secondary education, he pursued higher studies in Indianapolis, attending Butler University. He then enrolled in the predecessor institution of what is now the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, from which he graduated in 1942. Following his admission to the bar, he entered private legal practice, beginning a professional career that would accompany and inform his later public service.

With the United States’ entry into World War II, Kruse joined the armed forces and served in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1945. During his military service, he attained the rank of lieutenant commander. His wartime experience placed him among the generation of veterans whose leadership and public engagement helped shape American political life in the immediate postwar years.

After returning to civilian life and resuming his legal career, Kruse entered electoral politics as a Democrat. He was elected to the Eighty-first Congress and served as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from January 3, 1949, to January 3, 1951. As a member of the Democratic Party representing Indiana, he participated in the democratic process during a transformative period marked by postwar reconstruction, the early Cold War, and domestic economic adjustment. In Congress, he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his constituents in national deliberations. He sought reelection in 1950 to the Eighty-second Congress but was an unsuccessful candidate.

Following his single term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Kruse returned to Indiana and continued his public service in the judiciary. In 1952 he served as judge of Allen County Superior Court No. 2 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, applying his legal training and experience from both private practice and legislative service to the administration of justice at the county level.

In his later years, Kruse lived away from his native Indiana. He died on January 4, 2000, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His life encompassed service as a naval officer in World War II, a practicing attorney, a member of Congress, and a county judge, reflecting a career devoted to law, public service, and the representation of his fellow citizens.