John Fletcher (Iowa politician)
Ben Gibson | |
|---|---|
| 18th Attorney General of Iowa | |
| In office January 3, 1927 – January 1, 1933 | |
| Governor | John Hammill Dan W. Turner |
| Preceded by | Ben Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Edward L. O'Connor |
| District Court Judge of Polk County | |
| In office May 8, 1925 – January 1, 1927 | |
| Assistant Attorney General of Iowa | |
| In office January 29, 1910[1] – May 8, 1925 | |
| Preceded by | Charles S. Wilcox |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 5, 1876 |
| Died | February 26, 1968 (aged 92) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Marie D. Schmidt
(m. 1905; died 1924) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Iowa State Teachers College University of Iowa Law School |
John Fletcher (January 5, 1876 – February 26, 1968) was the Attorney General of Iowa from 1927 to 1933.[2]
Early life
Fletcher was born in Scott County, Iowa.[2] He attended the Iowa State Teachers College, later called the University of Northern Iowa, then attended University of Iowa Law School.[2] He was admitted to the bar on May 8, 1899.[3]
Politics
Assistant Attorney General
Fletcher was hired on January 29, 1910 by Attorney General H. W. Byers as an Assistant Attorney General.[1][2] He worked under Byers, Attorney General George Cosson and Attorney General Benjamin J. Gibson.[2] He left the Attorney General's office in May, 1925 when he was appointed, by Governor John Hammill to be a District Court judge in Polk County.[2] He remained a judge until his election to Attorney General.[2] He assumed the office in January 1927.[2]
Attorney General
In 1929, he ruled that a $100 million bond issued for primary roads was invalid.[4] This stirred controversy, but his ruling was upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court.[4]
Personal life
He married Marie D. Schmidt on June 14, 1905.[2] They had three children, Maurice, Warren and Margaret.[2] Marie died at age 44 on May 3, 1924 after a long illness, in Des Moines.[5]
John survived his wife by 44 years, dying of arteriosclerosis at age 92, on February 26, 1968 in Altoona.[4]
References
- ^ a b "John Fletcher Succeeds Wilcox". The Daily Nonpareil. January 30, 1910. p. 2. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "John Fletcher" (PDF). Iowa Official Register. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ "First Assistant Attorney General Named Today; Will Assume Duties At Once". Des Moines Tribune. May 8, 1925. p. 1. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c "John Fletcher Dead at 92". The Des Moines Register. February 26, 1968. p. 12. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ "Mrs. Marie Fletcher Dies of Long Illness". The Des Moines Register. May 4, 1924. p. 16. Retrieved November 7, 2025.