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Sumner Sewall

American politician, 58th Governor of Maine (1897–1965)

Sumner Sewall
58th Governor of Maine
In office January 1, 1941 – January 3, 1945
Preceded by	Lewis O. Barrows
Succeeded by	Horace Hildreth
Member of the Maine Senate
In office 1936-1940
Member of the Maine House of Representatives
In office 1934-1936
Personal details
Born	(1897-06-17)June 17, 1897 Bath, Maine, U.S.
Died	January 25, 1965(1965-01-25) (aged 67) Bath, Maine, U.S.
Resting place	Oak Grove Cemetery, Bath, Maine
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	Harvard College
Profession	Businessman, politician, airman
Awards	Distinguished Service Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Croix de Guerre (France), Legion of Honour (France), Order of the Crown (Belgium)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Air Service, United States Army
Years of service	1917-1919
Rank	Captain
Unit	95th Aero Squadron
Battles/wars	World War I

Sumner Sewall (June 17, 1897 – January 25, 1965) was an American Republican politician and airline executive who served as the 58th Governor of Maine from 1941 to 1945. He began his aviation career during World War I as a fighter ace.

A native of Bath, Maine, Sewall dropped out of Harvard College in 1917 to go to Europe to aid the Allies during World War I. Sewall served first in the American Ambulance Field Service from February through August 1917, then in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, then finally as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Service, becoming an ace by scoring seven victories.

He enlisted in the USAAS in Paris, underwent training, and reported to the 95th Aero Squadron in February 1918. He was promoted to Flight Commander, and went on to score five victories over enemy planes between 3 June and 18 September 1918, sharing a couple of them with future general James Knowles and Edward Peck Curtis. Sewall then became a balloon buster, shooting down an observation balloon each on 4 and 5 November. The only victory he did not receive credit for came when German pilot Leutnant Heinz Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay mistakenly landed on the 95th Aero Squadron's airfield, and Sewall and a couple of other American pilots captured him at gunpoint.^[1]

Sewall returned home with the Distinguished Service Cross with oak leaf cluster, the French Legion of Honor, the Croix de Guerre and the Order of the Crown of Belgium.^[1]

After the war, he worked in a variety of jobs, including being an executive with Colonial Air Transport and a director of United Air Lines.

His political career began when he became an alderman in Bath in 1933. He was elected to the Maine state legislature as a representative in 1934, then as a senator in 1936 and 1938. After the latter election, he was named President of the State Senate. In 1940, he was elected governor, and served two terms. Sewall's administration was notable for cleaning up scandals in state government and passing a minimum wage law for state teachers.

After stepping down as governor, Sewall became president of American Overseas Airlines for a year, then served as the military governor of Württemberg-Baden from 1946 to 1947. In 1948, Sewall finished a distant third in the Republican primary for Maine's open United States Senate seat, which ended his political career.

Sewall became president of the Bath National Bank in the 1960s. He died on 25 January 1965.

Sewall's parents were William Dunning Sewall and Mary Locke Sumner of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Mary was the daughter of George Sumner and Sarah E. Richardson, and she was great-granddaughter of the Reverend Joseph Sumner of the First Congregational Church in Shrewsbury. William D. Sewall and Mary Locke Sumner lived at the Sewall Family Home in Bath, ME known as York Hall.

Sewall's grandfather, Arthur Sewall, was the Democratic candidate for vice presidentin1896.

Sewall married Helen Ellena Evans in 1929. They had two sons, David and Nick, and a daughter Alexandria.

• List of World War I flying aces from the United States

• American Aces of World War I. Norman Franks, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-375-6, ISBN 978-1-84176-375-0.
• Gunther, John. Inside U.S.A. New York : Curtis, 1947. 487-489.
• Leviero, Anthony. "Low Salary Bars La Follette Job." New York Times 8 October 1947: 17.
• "Mrs. Smith wins in Maine race for Senate; Gov. Hildreth concedes." New York Times 22 June 1948: 1.
• "Past President: Sumner Sewall, Republican, 1939-1940"

• "Sumner Sewall". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-05-18.