Chester A. Fowler

The Honorable
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 by	Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Preceded by	Aad J. Vinje
Succeeded by	John E. Martin
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Circuit
	In office; January 1, 1905 – December 1929
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Clayton F. Van Pelt
Personal details
Born	Chester Almeron Fowler; December 24, 1862; Rubicon, Wisconsin
Died	April 8, 1948 (aged 85); Madison, Wisconsin
Resting place	Forest 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 mater	University 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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1916)[edit]

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)[edit]

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[edit]

^ "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Fowler".
^ "Wisconsin Court System - Chester A. Fowler". Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
^ "Election statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1917 (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1917. p. 300. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
^ Kelly, Alice, ed. (1931). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1931 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 580. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
^ 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.
^ 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 Aad J. Vinje	Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court 1929 – 1948	Succeeded by John E. Martin

[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.

[bb1917-3] "Election statistics". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1917 (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1917. p. 300. Retrieved December 27, 2019.

[bb1931-4] Kelly, Alice, ed. (1931). "Parties and elections". The Wisconsin Blue Book, 1931 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 580. Retrieved December 27, 2019.

[bb1933-5] 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.

[bb1942-6] 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.

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