West Virginian
Senator Goff was bom at Clarks
burg, W. Va. September 13, 1869,
son of Nathan and Laura E. (Des
pard) Goff. His father was Sec
retary of the Navy, for a short
time in the Hayes Cabinet and
served as United States Senator
from West Virginia from 1913 to
1919.
Senator Guy Goff married Anita
Baker of Wheeling, W. Va., in
1908. They had one daughter,
Mrs. Louise Reece, wife of Carroll
Reece, Representative in Congress
from the first district of Ten
nessee.
Goff was educated in Kenyon
College, Gambier, Ohio, and at
Harvard University. He received
his law degree from the Harvard
law school in 1891, and began the
practice of law in Boston.
Shortly thereafter, however, he
moved to Wisconsin and establish
ed himself at Milwaukee where
his rise to the legal profession was
rapid.
in tupn rosmons
A four year term as prosecuting
attorney of Milwaukee County was
followed by Goff’s appointment in
1911 by President Taft as United
States District Attorney for the
Eastern district of Wisconsin. He
was summoned to Washington in
1915 by President Wilson, who ap
pointed him Special Assistant to
the Attorney General of the Unit
ed States. From that time on he
held a marked position in Nation
al affairs.
Senator Goff was West Virgin
ia's “favorite son” for the Presi
dency of the United States in
1928. He defeated President Hoo
ver in the Presidential preferen
tial primaries prior to the Kan
sas City convention and won 18
of the State’s delegation of 19
delegates to his banner. After
Hoover was nominated however,
Goff again stumped the state urg
ing Hoover's election.
