Stephen P. Hempstead

Biography

Stephen P. Hempstead's public career culminated in his service as Iowa's second governor, a period during which he strengthened the state's schools, mental health institutions, and agricultural foundations. He believed that orderly progress required both fiscal prudence and compassion for those who labored the land.

After leaving office he continued to lead by example, offering counsel to younger leaders and supporting civic improvement projects, and when he passed in 1883 he was laid to rest in Linwood Cemetery, where his contributions to Iowa's early development are still honored.