Charles J. Warner was a farmer; registered Hereford cattle breeder; President of the Lancaster County Bank, Waverly; State Senator; and Lt. Governor of Nebraska. He helped establish Kearney State College, the Nebraska Tractor Testing Laboratory, Public Power and Irrigation and worked to develop and expand the University of Nebraska and the College of Agriculture.
Hon. Charles Joseph Warner was born on a farm near Waverly, Lancaster County, Nebraska, March 29, 1875, to Christine and John Warner. He was the 3rd child of a family of 5 children. His wife was the former Esther Anderson. He was commonly known by the name Charley. He attended country school and Luther Academy at Wahoo in 1891-92, Lincoln Normal University in 1894 and graduated from the University in 1899 and from the Columbian Law School, Washington D.C. in 1902. He was a member of Covenant Church in Waverly. His father, John Warner, founded that church in pioneer days.
In June 1954, Lt. Governor Charles Warner received the Nebraska Builders Award, the highest non-academic honor bestowed by the University of Nebraska. In making the announcement, the Board of Regents said Warner was selected because of his contribution to the welfare of the University of Nebraska.
Charley was prominent in state government. He probably devoted more of his time to public service than any other resident in Nebraska. He served as a member of the Nebraska House of Representatives 1901-05, of the Senate 1919-1935, and the Unicameral Legislature in 1937. He was unanimously elected the first speaker of the Unicameral in 1937 and had the unique distinction of having no appeal from any of his decisions. Charley had the longest service record of any man in the Nebraska Legislature. At the time of his death he was serving his fourth team as Lieutenant Governor. His legislative career included membership in thirteen sessions of the Nebraska Legislature and four sessions in which he presided as Lieutenant Governor. In the 35 years of legislative service Charlie took an active part in every movement and activity of importance to our state.
This record includes 20 years as state senator, ten sessions during every one of which he was on the appropriations committee. He prided himself with the fact that he always had a majority of the members on the committee with him. Warner was elected, with smashing majorities, Nebraska’s delegate at large to 4 Republican National Conventions.
At the age of 26, in the Legislative session of 1901, Warner was a member of four important committees: Federal Relations, Library, Revenue, Taxation and Privileges and Elections. In 1933 when all but 2 members of the Senate were Democrats, Warner, a life-long and active Republican, served on 13 committees.
Charley’s statesmanship based on his wisdom, judgment, and advise, has left his mark for good on the major portion of our legislative or governmental activity. Time has proven that important issues upon which he had taken an effective stand, have become wise ones and such action has improved the welfare and accelerated development of our state and in many cases the whole country.
In 1903 he introduced the Warner bill and by his maneuvering, brought about the establishment of a western Nebraska (Kearney) State Teachers College after many previous failures to establish a teachers college in the west and it is interesting to know that during the same legislative session, the Nebraska Agricultural College received its first authorization for four brick buildings on the Agricultural College campus.
In 1920, Senator Warner played a prominent part in the fight to establish the University of Nebraska tractor testing laboratory, an innovation which has brought about standardization of horse power ratings of farm tractors and gained fame in the U.S. and has been felt or copied the world over. Charley’s assistance and support made possible the passage of Senate File 310, the law which provided for the formation of public power and irrigation districts and it laid the foundation for the development of irrigation and power resources, namely Tri-County, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, the Consumers Public Power District and others. This law made it possible for districts to issue revenue bond for repayment of construction and was later copied by Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.
In 1919 he lent his effective efforts to the passage of legislation creating the Capitol Commission which brough about the building of the fine Nebraska Capitol. It was in 1941 that he was able to check the opposition and permit passage of the bill to establish the Nebraska State Trade School at Milford, thus permitting trade training for boys who could not go to the University but could learn a trade and return to the rural towns of Nebraska. Today hundreds of young men are running their own business in rural Nebraska communities furnishing needed service to their areas.
Charley has been actively identified with progressive agricultural legislation for Nebraska ever since the legislative session in 1901 when he obtained the passage of a law prohibiting the sale of cholera hogs. He has supported insect and disease control, irrigation, agricultural mechanization and many other phases of agriculture.
He worked vigorously for a mill levy tax to permit construction of many needed buildings at our State Institutions, Normal schools and University such as swine research, meats laboratory and food and nutrition building.
In mechanization of agriculture, Charley was ever ready to have machine companies try out their new inventions on his place. Actually, his farm was an experimental laboratory for farm mechanization.
Warner was widely known as a farmer and breeder of registered Herford cattle. He was a member of the Nebraska and National Herford Association. He was President of the Lancaster County Soil Conservation District from its beginning. President of Lancaster County Agricultural Society. He was a member of the State Fair Board of Managers for over 35 years and at the time of his death was 1st Vice President of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. He contributed much toward making the Nebraska State Fair an outstanding exposition. Charlie was an incorporator and served on the Board of the Salk-Wahoo Watershed Association. He took an active part in the affairs of his community, and was President of the Waverly consolidated Schools 28 years, Lancaster County Bank until his death, President of Prairie Home Co-op for a number of years, served on the Lancaster Co. Selective Service Board. He served on the Live Stock Production Board, Grange, and Farm Bureau. He was an active 32 degree Mason and was a member of Scottish Rite and Knight Templar, Shrine, Elks, Odd Fellow, Eastern Star, Rebecca, Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Nordeen Club and the Viking & University Club.
Charlie Warner was kind and considerate of his farm help. Never speaking an unkind word to either and always interested in their welfare. He was a fine supervisor. He was a sympathetic and confident person, always ready to give the fellows the opportunity to learn to do all kinds of work. If they hit a snag, he was on hand to help and advise, never to punish or belittle. It was a pleasure to work for him. This desire to help others was demonstrated again when his sons, Charles Leland and Philip Jerome, were old enough to take over the livestock and farm operations. He wanted them to learn the ropes while he was still around to help them over any obstacles that they might encounter.
Charlie was born of Swedish Immigrant parents of humble birth, and made his way up the steep hill to success by hard work and the determination to win. Through his thrift, frugality and openness to better farming methods, he built up the Warner farm to its present prominence. Charles J. Warner was a kind and tolerant man. He was outspoken in his views, but always ready to compromise differences of opinion. He was not one to carry a grudge even against his most bitter critics.
Warner’s ready willingness to give helpful unbiased counsel to all who came to him, made him a man, employer, lawmaker and good citizen.
Charles J. Warner served his state and nation well. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He will never be forgotten. His record of achievement will leave it’s mark on the pages of Nebraska’s History.
