Biography

05/25/1867 - 06/25/1940

John Stuchell Fisher (R37) Indiana and Jefferson Counties 1901-1908

Early Life:

John Stuchell Fisher, born May 25, 1867, two miles north of Plumville, South Mahoning Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania; son of Samuel Royer and Maria Louise McGaughey Fisher; Indiana High School, 1884; Indiana State Normal School (now Indiana University of Pennsylvania), 1886; unsuccessful bid, superintendent of Indiana County schools, 1888; teacher; principal, for schools, Plumville and Indiana Pennsylvania; studied law, admitted, Pennsylvania, Indiana County, bar associations, 1893; formed a partnership with his preceptor, Samuel Cunningham, Cunningham and Fisher, Indiana County; chairman, Indiana County Republicans, 1896; elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1901-1908; chairman, Commission on Constitutional Revision; cabinet, Governor William Cameron Sproul, State Commissioner of Banking, 1919-1922; elected, Republican, Governor, Pennsylvania, 1927-1931; married, Karen Happuch “Hapsie” Miller Fisher, 1893 (d.1922), children, Robert Miller Fisher, Charlotte Fisher, Mary Fisher Brown, John Royer Fisher; died, June 25, 1940 (aged 73), Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; interment, Greenwood Cemetery, Indiana, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.

Early Career: 

Studied law, United States Congressman and attorney Alexander W. Taylor.

Professional titles; business ownership; board memberships; local government; club memberships:

Vice president, board of trustees, Indiana Normal School (later renamed Indiana State College and then Indiana University of Pennsylvania); founder, lifetime, board member, president, Indiana Savings and Trust Company; helped found the town of Clymer as a community for miners; president, Dixon Run Land Company; lots were sold to the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Corporation; owner founder, president, Clymer Brick and Fire Clay Company; vice president, Indiana Hospital; general counsel, New York Central Railroad; vice president, Clearfield Bituminous Coal Corporation; presidencies of Beech Creek and Beech Creek Extension Railroads, subsidiaries of the New York Central Railroad; director, Juniata Public Service [electric] Company. President, Pennsylvania Society, Sons of the Revolution. 

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Republican, Pennsylvania State Senate, 37th district, Indiana and Jefferson Counties, 1901-1908; committee assignments, Appropriations, City Passenger Railways, Elections, Finance, Judiciary General (Chairman), New Counties and County Seats; Jefferson and Indiana Counties shared a political custom of limiting their local senators to just two terms, which the senator honored. 

Appointed, chairman, investigative committee, included forty-eight hearings, 289 exhibits, 189 witnesses, and four thousand pages of testimony, presented Governor Edwin Stuart, report that lead to indictments for fraud. 

Elected, Republican, 29th Governor, Pennsylvania, 1927-1931; defeated, Philadelphia Judge Eugene C. Bonniwell; fiscal policy, public works, conservation, and initiating the use of voting machines as a deterrent to voter fraud; formed, Securities Commission under the Department of Banking; Department of Revenue was established; built the State Farm Show Building, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge, Harrisburg; nicknamed "The Builder"; during his administration nearly 500,000 acres were added to Pennsylvania's state forests. 

Cited:

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members F". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project Wilkes University.

The Pennsylvania Manual, (1908). Miller, H.P., (Compiler). Baker, W.H., (Assistant Compiler). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 909, 915-917, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 887. 

PHMC: Governors of Pennsylvania (archive.org)

John Stuchell Fisher (1867-1940) - Find a Grave Memorial