Biography

02/24/1845 - 03/20/1926

Private (Doctor) Jacob Gilbert Zern (Fusion Democrat 22) Carbon, Monroe, and Pike Counties 1903-1906

Early Life:

Private, Doctor Jacob Gilbert Zern, born, February 24, 1845, New Hanover Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; son of Reverend Jacob and Sophia Zern; Millersville State Normal School (now Millersville University of Pennsylvania); University of Pennsylvania, M.D., 1868; private, Civil War,1864-1865; teacher; physician; director and vice president, First National Bank of Lehighton, 1878-1922; elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1878-1882; postmaster, United States Postal Service, Weissport, 1887-1889; elected, burgess, Lehighton, 1893-1894; elected, associated judge, Carbon County, 1894-1899; unsuccessful campaign, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1900; elected,  Fusion Democrat, Pennsylvania States Senate, 1902-1906; director, Appropriations Committee, Pennsylvania State Senate; married, Ellen M. Edinger, children: Mary Wilmer, Harry and Katherine; died, March 20, 1926, Lehighton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania; interred, Lehighton Cemetery, Lehighton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. 

Early Career:

Enlisted, 100-days service, age 17, private, Company C, 195th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, Camp Curtin, July 24, 1864 - discharged, June 16, 1865. 

Graduated, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, 1868; opened private practice at Weissport, Carbon County. 

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

Director and vice president, First National Bank of Lehighton, 1878-1922; secretary, Association of Lehigh Valley Railroad Surgeons; first President, Carbon County Medical Society; member Pennsylvania and American Medical Societies; Past Master Leighton Lodge No.621 Free and Accepted Masons, 1900, Lodge constituted; Past Master Carbon Lodge No. 242 Free and Accepted Masons, Mauch Chuck; Past Eminent Commander, Packer Commandary No.23 Mauch Chuck. 

 Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, 1879-1882, not a candidate for reelection, 1882. 

Appointed, President Grover Cleveland, Postmaster, Weissport, Pennsylvania, 1887-1889.  

Elected, Burgess, Lehighton, 1893; Associate Judge of Carbon County, 1894-1899. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 1900. 

Elected, Fusion Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate, 22nd district, Carbon, Monroe, and Pike Counties, 1903-1906, committee assignments, Appropriations, Game and Fisheries, Insurance, Military Affairs, Law and Order, Public Grounds and Buildings and Public Health and Sanitation.   

After his Pennsylvania State Senate term, served as Director of the Senate Appropriations Committee. 

Pennsylvania House of Representatives Biography:

Official Website - PA House Archives Official Website (state.pa.us)

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. Senate Members "Z" (wilkes.edu). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

Smull’s Legislative Handbook, (1906). Cochran, T.B., (Editor) Miller, H.P. (Assistant Editor) Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pages 823, 829-834, Biographical Sketches of Senators, page 805.

The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania) Sunday March 21, 1926, Page 5.

Dr Jacob Gilbert Zern (1845-1926) - Find a Grave Memorial