Muncie. The couple was married on October 30, 1919 and purchased a home in Columbia City where they lived the rest of their lives. They had two children, Robert and Patricia. Gates' father soon brought him into the family banking business where he served as a manager in the Farmer's Loan and Trust Bank. Gates first became involved in politics in 1920 when he became the attorney for Whitley County. He became the town attorney for South Whitley in 1922, a position he held until 1944. He also served as attorney for Columbia City from 1927 through 1929. The Ku Klux Klan dominated the state government during the 1920s and Gates, thanks to his father's advice, was among the few office holders in his region who did not become involved with the secret organization. The Klan was exposed in a scandal in 1927 that led to a near collapse of the state Republican Party. With the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, the family bank entered a period of financial difficulty. Gates and his brothers were able to successfully meet with each of the banks depositors and convince them to sign non-withdrawal pledges. Thanks to their cooperation, the family was able to preserve the bank and made it one of the few in the region to avoid a bank run. In 1928 he succeeded his father as the chairman of the Whitley County Republican Party and served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1931 Gates became the Indiana commander of the American Legion. The position led him to travel around the state and meet with many state leaders as he lobbied for veterans. Gates continued to grow in popularity and power among the state party. He served again as a delegate to the national conventions in 1936 and in 1940. In 1941 he became the chairman of the state Republican Party where he immediately set to work to strengthen it and return it to power. He was known as a "master politician" and soon began to cull from the party leadership the last vestiges of the old progressive movement and those willing to compromise with the Democrats. He personally oversaw the reorganization of each county party in the state on the model of the Whitely County party. Governor Campaign In 1944 Gates used his influence to secure a unanimous nomination at the state convention to run