Merrill Werts
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Merrill H. Werts (November 17, 1922–September 22, 2011) was an American politician who served in the Kansas Senate as a Republican from the 22nd district from 1979 to 1989.[1]
Merrill Werts | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Kansas Senate from the 22nd district | |
| In office 1979 – January 9, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Donn Everett |
| Succeeded by | Lana Oleen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 17, 1922[1] |
| Died | September 22, 2011 Junction City, Kansas |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Dorothy Wilson |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Kansas State University (undergraduate); Cornell University (Master's degree) |
Werts was born in Smith Center, Kansas and raised on a farm. He attended Kansas State University, but his education there was interrupted by service in World War II; Werts entered the U.S. Army in June 1943 and fought in the European theater, losing a leg in Germany. He left the Army in March 1946 and returned to KSU, graduating in 1947. He received a master's degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University in 1948.
After completing his education, Werts worked in banking, eventually rising to become president of a bank in Junction City, Kansas. He was elected to the State Senate in 1978, taking office in 1979; in 1988, he declined to run for re-election, and Lana Oleen succeeded him in the Senate.[3]