HAYNES, Col. Glenn C.

HAYNES, LANE, HAMMILL

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/11/2014 at 02:09:21

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Saturday, September 14, 1940, Page 16

THEY STARTED HERE
No. 26 in a Mason City Series of Success Stories

COL. GLENN C. HAYNES, Noted Public Servant

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If there is anywhere a list of Iowa's most valuable public servants, in all probability at or near the top of it is one name which draws the universal respect of all Iowans who knew it, that of Col. Glenn C. Haynes, warden of the Iowa penitentiary at Ft. Madison and long prominent in the service of this state and the nation.

For the former Mason Cityan has devoted most of his life to public service, both as a private individual and as state and national servant.

He has served with distinction in the World war and is a veteran of the Spanish-American war. His career includes that of a postal inspector and assistant postmaster, auditor of State, Iowa political leader, and warden of the state penitentary since 1933.

* * *
Many Mason Cityans know and admire Colonel Haynes, for his kindly and affable spirit was well known here following the war when he returned from France to enter the realty business in Mason City.

The former Mason Cityan was born at Centerville, Aug. 25, 1876, the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Haynes. His father was a veteran of the Civil war, having lost an arm in the struggle that welded a nation.

Glenn Haynes attended school at Centerville and even then showed the ability, intelligence and drive that was to mark his later career so prominently. After graduating from Centerville high school, he accepted a job as assistant postmaster in his home town.

When the Spanish-American war broke out, Glenn Haynes knew where his duty lay. Like his father did more than 30 years before him, he joined the army to help fight his country's battles. Unfortunately, as he must have thought at the time, his company did not get into action, however, for the war ended just as the old Iowa 50th infantry was in Florida prepartatory to leaving for Cuba.

* * *
When the war was over, Glenn Haynes returned to his family and civilian life as a postal employe (sic). He had been amrried in 1896 to Miss Mamie Lane of Centerville. They are the parents of two children.

Colonel Haynes, at that time known to his close friends as "Penny" Haynes, was a postal inspector in the years ensuing, with headquarters in Washington, St. Louis, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Mason City.

In 1915 an opportunity came for him to go to Mt. Vernon as assistant postmaster, and he took it, for the Haynes children were about ready to attend college and the quiet atmosphere and fine qualities of Cornell college at Mt. Vernon appealed to him and to Mrs. Haynes.

During the years that followed the Spanish-American war, Glenn Haynes had kept up his interest in the military and while he was at Mt. Vernon he undertook in help with military training at Cornell, for the World war was on and prepardedness was the watch-word.

On April 6, 1917, the congress of the United States declared that a state of war existed between this country and Germany. There was a rush to the colors and Mt. Vernon's assistant postmaster was among those who answered the call to service.

He had kept in touch with the national guard - in fact he was an officer in the old 3rd Iowa infantry. A short time after the declaration of war the Iowa national guard forces were reshuffled and Glenn Haynes became Capt. Glenn Haynes of the 168th Iowa infantry. Many Mason Cityans were in the same outfit.

The 168th was honored by being included in the famous Rainbow division, the first to go overseas. Captain Haynes served in the fighting in France with valor, winning the respect and admiration of his men.

* * *
A natural leader, the captain was never harsh. He took an interest in his men and their welfare. But as the same time he knew what discipline was and his men had the reputation of being a well behaved outfit.

The 168th saw a good deal of of action overseas and at one fight, the attack on Bois de Chatilon in October, 1918, Captain Haynes won the croix de guerre of France. His citiation "When the commanders of his two front line companies were put out of action after having obtained a footing on the slopes, Captain Haynes personally took command of the two companies an dwith utter disregard for his own safety led them through heavy artillery, machine gun and rifle fire to their objective."

Mustered out of the army after the armistice, Glenn Haynes came back to Mason City, where he entered the realty business with the Law Land company.

* * *
Here he took a prominent part in local affairs, and his fine humor and keen intelligence made him many friends. He was perhaps as much or more responsible than any one man for the establishment of the Clausen-Worden post of the American Legion here and was a charter member of the post.

In 1920 he entered politics, being elected state auditor, and he was re-elected in 1922.

In 1924 Colonel Haynes was a candidate for the republican nomination for governor. The fight went to the convention that year with four men engaged in one of the most heated struggles on record. Mason City's represetative lost, but another North Iowan, John Hammill of Britt, won.

But a man of Glenn Haynes' caliber does not long want for something to do and in a short time after his second term as auditor of state expired on the third of January, 1925, he was offered and accepted the post of executive secretary of the Iowa Good Roads association.

* * *
During the years that followed, the former Mason Cityan did a capital job at promoting the interests of good roads in this state. And when he left his position eight years later, Iowa had been "pulled out of the mud" and was enjoying a well earned reputation for its fine roads. Perhaps more than any one man, Glenn Haynes was responsible for the good raods success during the 1925-33 period.

Colonel Haynes' appointment to succeed Warden Thomas Hollowell, who had resigned the post because of ill health, came when the state board of control deadlocked over the proposed appointment of Charles H. Grahl to the job. His reputation as a leader of men, his established ability in other lines and the regard and respect in which the entire state held him made Colonel Haynes an ideal appointee.

When he arrived at the penitentary to assume his new duties, Warden Haynes found that all prisoners greeted teh warden with a military salute.

"That kind of procedure soon stopped," he says. "In the army a prisoner has no right to salute anyone."

* * *
Warden Haynes is a strict disciplinarian in prison affairs, but he is generally popular with the men under his charge, for he is fair and just and [a] humanitarian.

Even though the prison holds a considerable population which works one of the largest industrial plants in the state there was still not enough to keep the men busy at all times. So Colonel Haynes set many of them to work digging into a high hill which overhangs the prison along the Mississippi river. Today as a reward for their work the prisoners have a fine field for their athletics. Athletics, by the way, have developed greatly since the coming of Warden Haynes, for he feels that men with no idle time are much less apt to be plotting escape.

And how, after more than eight years as head of Iowa's "big house," Warden Haynes can look back to a fine record in another field of endeavor. He has successfully operated not only a prison but a major industrial plant.

He has builded and bettered. He has added another chapter to a fine story of public service. To him as to few Iowans living today should go the gratitude and admiration of the entire state.

NOTE: Col. Haynes died in 1942. Mamie (Lane) Haynes was born in 1876, and died in 1964. They were interred at Oakland Cemetery, Centerville, Iowa.

Photographs courtesy of Globe-Gazette

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2014

~ ~ ~ ~
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS
Glenn C. Haynes, captain, 168th Infantry. For extraordinary heroism in action near Bois de Chatillon, France, October 16, 1918. Capt. Haynes, as battalion commander, distinguished himself by his coolness and leadership in the attack on Bois de Chatillon and Cote-de-Chatillon. When the commanders of his two front line companies were put out of action after having obtained a footing upon the slopes, Capt. Haynes personally took command of the two companies and in utter disregard for his own safety successfuly led them through heavy artillery, machine gun and rifle fire to their objective.

Residnece at appointment: Mason City, Iowa

-source: Official Register, State of Iowa 1921-1922, Twenty-Ninth Number, Military Decorations of Iowans in the World War, pg. 365

-transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall, July 20, 2004

Cerro Gordo Biographies maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen