{{Short description|American Democratic party politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Frank Sorrell | image = Frank Sorrell 1944.jpg | caption = | state_legislature = Nebraska | district = 2nd | term_start = January 3, 1939 | term_end = January 7, 1947 | predecessor = Robert McDowell Armstrong | successor = John McKnight | party = Democratic | birth_date = {{Birth date|1894|06|22}} | birth_place = Canaan Township, Gasconade County, Missouri, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|1964|08|20|1894|06|22}} | death_place = Syracuse, Nebraska, U.S. }}
'''James Franklin "Frank" Sorrell''' (June 22, 1894 {{endash}} August 20, 1964)<ref name=bb42 /> was an American Democratic party politician, businessman, and public servant. He served in the unicameral Nebraska Legislature from 1939 to 1947.<ref name=bb2425>{{cite web|title=2024-25 Nebraska Blue Book|author=State of Nebraska|date=2025|access-date=January 16, 2026|page=395|url=https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/l3000/D001-202425.pdf}}</ref> He also ran unsuccessfully three times for Governor of Nebraska and once for Nebraska Lieutenant Governor.
==Early life== Sorrell was born on June 22, 1894, to Chalmer and Mary Sorrell<ref name=starobit /> in Canaan Township, Gasconade County, Missouri.<ref name=bb42>{{cite web|title=1942 Nebraska Blue Book|author=State of Nebraska|date=1942|access-date=January 16, 2026|page=212|url=https://govdocs.nebraska.gov/epubs/l3000/D001-1942.pdf}}</ref> In 1914 at age 20, he came to Nebraska and farmed in Otoe County.<ref name=bb42 /> After farming for about 15 years, Sorrell became an insurance agent, auctioneer, and realtor.<ref name=bb42 />
==Career== Sorrell first ran for political office in 1938 when he sought to represent the second legislative district in the Nebraska Legislature. He was successful at winning the seat, ousting the incumbent, Robert McDowell Armstrong, by over 1,000 votes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Sorrell Carries District|date=November 11, 1938|page=1|newspaper=Syracuse Journal-Democrat|access-date=January 16, 2026|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/766039687/}}</ref> Sorrell was then reelected to the Nebraska Legislature three times, serving eight years in total from 1939 to 1947.<ref name=bb2425 /><ref name=leg64>{{cite news|title=Frank Sorrell|newspaper=North Platte Telegraph-Bulletin|date=January 24, 1964|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1158115533/}}</ref>
In 1946, after Nebraska Governor Dwight Griswold decided to run for US Senate, Sorrell sought the governorship of Nebraska. He won the Democratic primary but lost the general election to Val Peterson.<ref>{{cite news|title=Republicans Are Election Victors|newspaper=The Benkelman Post and News-Chronicle|page=1|date=November 8, 1946|access-date=January 17, 2026|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/671341346/}}</ref> Sorrell challenged Peterson again in 1948 to be Nebraska governor after winning an uncontested primary but lost again.<ref>{{cite news|title=Truman Returned as President Peterson Reelected Governor|newspaper=The Wauneta Breeze|date=November 4, 1948|page=1|access-date=January 17, 2026|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/771054680/}}</ref>
Sorrell tried once again to run for governor of Nebraska by attempting to unseat Republican incumbent governor Victor E. Anderson in the 1956 Nebraska gubernatorial election but lost once again, though he captured the highest vote share of any of his three campaigns for governor.<ref name=starobit /> In 1958, Sorrell sought the office of Nebraska Lieutenant Governor, running against incumbent lieutenant governor Dwight W. Burney.<ref name=starobit /> Although the race was very close, Sorrell was ultimately unsuccessful in this race as well.<ref name=starobit /> Since Ralph G. Brooks defeated Anderson for governor in the election of 1958, some speculated that if Sorrell had run for governor, he may have been elected.<ref name=starobit /> Furthermore, if he had been successful in winning the lieutenant governorship, he would have also become governor due to the death of Brooks before the expiration of his term.
In 1959, Democratic Nebraska governor Ralph G. Brooks appointed Sorrell to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, but Nebraska governor Frank B. Morrison fired Sorrell from the commission in 1962 due to an allegation that Sorrell had violated state law in acting on behalf of two liquor licensees who came before the commission.<ref name=liquor>{{cite news|title=Frank Sorrell Seeking Election To Legislature|newspaper=Lincoln Star|page=17|date=January 24, 1964|access-date=January 17, 2026|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/66415226/}}</ref><ref name=leg64 /> Sorrell fought his dismissal but was ultimately ordered by a court to vacate the office.<ref name=starobit>{{cite news|title=Longtime Active Demo Frank Sorrell, 70, Dies|newspaper=Lincoln Star|date=August 21, 1964|access-date=January 16, 2026|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/65598394/}}</ref>
In 1964, Sorrell once again sought a seat in the Nebraska Legislature.<ref name=leg64 /><ref name=liquor /> He advanced to the general election after winning one of the top two spots in the primary,<ref>{{cite news|title=Sorrell, Goldwater Top Record Light Primary Vote Here|newspaper=Syracuse Journal-Democrat|date=May 14, 1964|page=1|access-date=January 17, 2026|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/766997153/}}</ref> but he died just over two months before the general election.<ref name=starobit />
==Personal life== Sorrell married Oma E. Sewell in 1915, and they had three children.<ref name=bb42 /> She died in 1943.<ref name=starobit /> He later married Emma Mae Craven, who died in 1963.<ref name=starobit />
Sorrell died at age 70 of a heart attack after sweeping the stage of a band shell at the Otoe County Fair.<ref name=starobit /><ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Sorrell Dies At Syracuse Today|newspaper=Grand Island Independent|date=August 20, 1964|page=2|access-date=January 17, 2026|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/987696551/}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorrell, Frank}} Category:1894 births Category:People from Otoe County, Nebraska Category:Businesspeople from Nebraska Category:Democratic Party Nebraska state senators Category:20th-century members of the Nebraska Legislature Category:1964 deaths