Fred S. Alward

Frederick Searly Alward was born on November 21, 1889, in New South Wales, Australia, to John Alward and Alice Maud Mary Lumley. He emigrated to the United States in 1908 and became a U.S. citizen, and he served in the United States Armed Forces during World War I. After returning from military service, he took up the practice of law and relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1926, entering the Nevada bar to build his legal career in the young and growing state.

Alongside his work as an attorney, Alward gave many years to public service. He was first elected to the Nevada Assembly representing Clark County in November 1930, taking office in 1931, and was re-elected in 1932. When the session began in 1933, he became Speaker of the Assembly, and in that role he helped sponsor the legislation that eventually legalized gambling in Nevada. In 1934 he was elected Lieutenant Governor, and he served as Nevada's 17th Lieutenant Governor from January 7, 1935, to January 2, 1939, under Governor Richard Kirman Sr.

After leaving office, Alward retired from politics and returned to the practice of law. He later broadened his interests well beyond the courtroom, purchasing a hotel in 1941 and becoming a rancher in Kennebec, South Dakota, with additional cattle business interests in Florida. He died on June 25, 1987, in Hot Springs, South Dakota, and was buried at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis, South Dakota.