James Fairman Fielder (February 26, 1867 – December 2, 1954) was an American politician of the Democratic party, who served as the 35th

governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

, from 1914 to 1917. He had previously served as acting governor in 1913 but stepped down from office to avoid constitutional limits on serving successive terms.

Early life and career

He was born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.George Bragg Fielder George Bragg Fielder (July 24, 1842 – August 14, 1906) was an American Civil War veteran, banker, and politician who represented New Jersey's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for one term from 1893– ...

. After

law school A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

, he became a member of the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

representing

Hudson County, New Jersey Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

from 1903 to 1904. He was then a member of the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

from Hudson County from 1908 to 1913.

Governor

The

convened in January 1913 after

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

had won the 1912 Presidential Election and Fielder was selected to serve as

President of the New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

. This set him up to become acting

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...

starting on March 1, 1913.

Resignation and return

Fielder resigned from his Senate office on October 28, 1913, so as to "create a vacancy in the governorship and avoid constitutional limits on succeeding himself". After winning "re-election," he took office on January 20, 1914, and served a full term in office, from January 20, 1914, to January 15, 1917.

Death

Fiedler died on December 2, 1954, of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at Mountainside Hospital. He was buried in the mausoleum in

Fairmount Cemetery, Newark Fairmount Cemetery is a rural cemetery in the West Ward of Newark, New Jersey, in the neighborhood of Fairmount. It opened in 1855, shortly after the Newark City Council banned burials in the central city due to fears that bodies spread yellow ...

References

External links

Biography of James Fairman Fielder (PDF)

New Jersey State Library The New Jersey State Library, based in Trenton, New Jersey, was established in 1796 to serve the information needs of New Jersey's Governor, Legislature and Judiciary. The State Library is also responsible to assist in the provision of library and ...

Dead Governors of New Jersey – James F. Fielder
at

The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fielder, James Fairman 1867 births 1954 deaths American Episcopalians Burials at Fairmount Cemetery (Newark, New Jersey) Democratic Party governors of New Jersey Democratic Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly Democratic Party New Jersey state senators Politicians from Jersey City, New Jersey Presidents of the New Jersey Senate