Glenn Hasenfratz Griswold

Glenn Hasenfratz Griswold (January 20, 1890 – December 5, 1940) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served four terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1931 to 1939. His congressional career spanned a critical era in American history, encompassing the Great Depression and the early years of the New Deal, during which he contributed to the legislative process and represented the interests of his Indiana constituents in the House of Representatives.

Griswold was born on January 20, 1890, in New Haven, Missouri. He attended the public schools in Missouri before relocating to Indiana as a young man. In 1911 he moved to Peru, Indiana, which would remain his home and the center of his professional and political life. Seeking a legal education, he enrolled at Valparaiso Law School in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he prepared for a career in the law.

After completing his legal studies, Griswold was admitted to the bar in 1917 and commenced the practice of law in Peru, Indiana. His early professional years were interrupted by national service during World War I. He served in the United States Army as a private in Company B, Fourth Regiment Casual Detachment, contributing to the American war effort. Following his military service, he returned to Peru and resumed his legal practice, quickly becoming active in local public affairs.

Griswold’s legal expertise led to a series of public legal positions in Indiana. He served as city attorney of Peru from 1921 to 1925, providing legal counsel to the municipal government. He then advanced to the role of prosecuting attorney of Miami County, Indiana, serving in that capacity in 1925 and 1926, where he was responsible for the prosecution of criminal cases on behalf of the state. Expanding his involvement in state regulatory matters, he served as a member of the Indiana Railroad Commission in 1930, participating in the oversight of rail transportation and related public utilities at a time when railroads remained central to commerce and economic life.

Building on this record of public service, Griswold was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second Congress and to the three succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1931, to January 3, 1939. During his four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, he participated in the democratic process at the federal level and took part in shaping legislation during a period marked by severe economic hardship and sweeping federal reforms. As a member of the Democratic Party, he aligned with the majority that supported many of the New Deal initiatives aimed at economic recovery and social welfare, while continuing to advocate for the needs and interests of his Indiana district.

After eight years in Congress, Griswold sought another term but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth Congress. With the conclusion of his congressional service in January 1939, he returned to Peru, Indiana, and reengaged in the private practice of law. He continued his legal work there until his death, remaining a respected figure in the community he had long served.

Glenn Hasenfratz Griswold died in Peru, Indiana, on December 5, 1940. He was interred in Mount Hope Cemetery in Peru. His career reflected a steady progression from local legal practice and municipal service to state regulatory work and ultimately to national office, where he served four consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives during one of the most consequential periods in twentieth-century American history.