Obituaries
| Publication year | 2011 |
| Pages | 20 |
| Citation | Vol. 80 No. 4 Pg. 20 |
Obituaries
Charles S. Arthur
Charles S. Arthur, 93, of Manhattan, died February 16 in Manhattan. He was born July 16, 1917, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, the son of Charles S. and Anna Hope (Pearson) Arthur. When he was young, his family moved to Olathe, where he attended school and graduated from Olathe High School in 1935. Following high school, Arthur attended college at the University of Kansas, earning his Bachelor of Science in business in 1939. During his college years he played varsity football at KU from 1935-36.
He was in his first year of law school in 1941 when he join the U.S. Navy, just three months prior to Pearl Harbor. Arthur was a carrier pilot, flying in America's first full-scale attack on Tokyo. During his military service, he was shot down over the ocean near Okinawa and was rescued an hour-and-a-half later out of the water when he was picked up by an U.S. destroyer. On another occasion, while landing his plane on an aircraft carrier, 200 Japanese bombers attacked the carrier fleet, severely damaging the plane he was in; he spent two weeks recovering from shrapnel wounds. His distinguished military career was highlighted when he received the Purple Heart, in addition to a Distinguished Flying Cross with star in lieu of a second Air Medal with six stars. He was honorably discharged in 1945 with the permanent rank of lieutenant commander.
Following the war he returned to law school and received his law degree in 1947; he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega social fraternity. In 1947 he moved to Manhattan and went on to established the Arthur-Green law firm with Charles Green in 1950. In 1955 he was elected to the Manhattan City Commission, serving as mayor in 1956-57, and then served as state representative for 12 years, eight years in the House (1957-65) and four years in the Senate (1965-69). In 1963 he became speaker of the House for two years. Arthur received the James E. Butler Civil Rights Award for advancing the cause of civil and human rights.
Arthur served as general counsel for Kansas Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies from 1975 until his retirement in 1992. He continued to practice law until he fully retired in 1998, following 51 years of service. He was a member of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce; Rotary International; the Riley, Kansas, and American bar associations; and a fellow of the American College of Probate Counsel. He...
To continue reading
Request your trial