Chester A. Fowler

The Honorable
Chester A. Fowler
Fowler circa 1940
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office
December 1929 – April 8, 1948
Appointed byWalter J. Kohler, Sr.
Preceded byAad J. Vinje
Succeeded byJohn E. Martin
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Circuit
In office
January 1, 1905 – December 1929
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byClayton F. Van Pelt
Personal details
Born
Chester Almeron Fowler

(1862-12-24)December 24, 1862
Rubicon, Wisconsin
DiedApril 8, 1948(1948-04-08) (aged 85)
Madison, Wisconsin
Resting placeForest Hill Cemetery
Madison, Wisconsin
Spouses
  • Carrie J. Smith
  • (m. 1892; died 1946)
Children
  • Mary (Boynton)
  • (b. 1893; died 1964)
  • Dwight Fowler
  • (b. 1894; died 1981)
Parents
  • Franklin Dwight Fowler (father)
  • Maria Antoinette (Cole) Fowler (mother)
Alma materUniversity of Wisconsin

Chester Almeron Fowler (December 24, 1862 – April 8, 1948) was an American judge in the state of Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the last 19 years of his life, after serving 25 years as a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge.

Biography

Fowler was born Chester Almeron Fowler to Franklin Dwight and Maria Fowler in Rubicon, Wisconsin.[1] On May 30, 1892, he married Carrie J. Smith. He graduated from what is now the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and taught school. He studied law in Iowa and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He then practiced law in Omaha, Nebraska, until returning to Wisconsin with his law partner.[2]

Career

Fowler was a circuit judge in Wisconsin from 1905 to 1929. He was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court at the end of 1929 to replace the deceased Chief Justice Aad J. Vinje. The following spring, he won election to the remainder of the term and was re-elected twice more before dying in office in 1948.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1916)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1916[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1916
Nonpartisan Franz C. Eschweiler 70,380 23.40%
Nonpartisan William J. Turner 64,568 21.46%
Nonpartisan Ellsworth B. Belden 57,670 19.17%
Nonpartisan Walter D. Corrigan 56,666 18.84%
Nonpartisan Chester A. Fowler 51,033 16.97%
Scattering 489 0.16%
Plurality 5,812 1.93%
Total votes 300,806 100.0%

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1930, 1931, 1941)

Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1930[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1, 1930
Nonpartisan Chester A. Fowler (incumbent) 198,572 41.39%
Nonpartisan John W. Reynolds Sr. 184,317 38.42%
Nonpartisan Ray J. Cannon 96,908 20.20%
Scattering 433 0.09%
Plurality 14,255 2.97%
Total votes 480,230 100.0%
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1931[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 7, 1931
Nonpartisan Chester A. Fowler (incumbent) 254,534 46.87% +5.52%
Nonpartisan John W. Reynolds, Sr. 230,902 42.52% +4.14%
Nonpartisan George L. Mensing 57,590 10.61%
Plurality 23,632 4.35% +1.38%
Total votes 543,026 100.0% +13.08%
Wisconsin Supreme Court Election, 1941[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, April 1, 1941
Nonpartisan Chester A. Fowler (incumbent) 290,276 54.89% +8.02%
Nonpartisan Alvin C. Reis 238,562 45.11%
Plurality 51,714 9.78% +5.43%
Total votes 528,838 100.0% -2.61%

References

  1. ^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Fowler".
  2. ^ "Wisconsin Court System - Chester A. Fowler". Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
  3. ^ "Election statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1917 (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1917. p. 300. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  4. ^ Kelly, Alice, ed. (1931). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1931 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 580. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  5. ^ Witte, Edwin E.; Kelly, Alice, eds. (1933). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1933 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 505. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  6. ^ Ohm, Howard F.; Bryhan, Leone G., eds. (1942). "Parties and elections: the judicial and nonpartisan elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1942 (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 675. Retrieved December 27, 2019.


Legal offices
New circuit Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Circuit
1905 – 1929
Succeeded by
Clayton F. Van Pelt
Preceded by Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
1929 – 1948
Succeeded by