James Hartness

James Hartness

James Hartness (born September 3, 1861 in Schenectady , New York , † February 2, 1934 in Springfield , Vermont ) was an American politician and governor of the state of Vermont from 1921 to 1923 .

Early years and advancement

James Hartness grew up in Cleveland ( Ohio ) and in Connecticut on. He then settled in Springfield, Vermont. At the age of 16 he started working as a machinist. At the Jones and Lamson Machine Company , he rose to the position of president of the company by 1900. Hartness also made a name for himself as an inventor. His inventions, especially in the tool sector, were marketed so well that Hartness soon became the richest man in Vermont. He became president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and many similar organizations. Among his numerous inventions was a telescope that was used for astronomical purposes.

Hartness as an aviation pioneer

Since 1913 he also devoted himself to aviation. This year he drove a zeppelin for the first time in Germany . Back in the United States, he obtained his pilot's license. Soon he was president of the Vermont Aero Club and was involved in founding Vermont's first airfield, Hartness State Airport. He had the vision of commercial aviation early on. During the First World War he was an advisor to the armed forces with regard to the construction and use of aircraft. After his Atlantic flight in 1927, Charles Lindbergh visited Hartness in Vermont to underline his contribution to aviation in the USA.

Political career

James Hartness was a member of the Republican Party . In addition to his business activities, Hartness was a member of his state's education committee between 1915 and 1921. During the First World War he was responsible for the control and administration of food in Vermont on behalf of the federal government. In 1920 he was elected the new governor of his state. He held this office between January 6, 1921 and January 4, 1923. As governor, he campaigned for the agricultural and industrial development of his state. He supported women's suffrage , which was first exercised in Vermont when he was elected in 1920. During his tenure, a woman was elected to the legislature for the first time.

Another résumé

Hartness turned down a renewed candidacy for governor in 1922. Instead, he continued to devote himself to his business and personal interests. He was married to Lena Sanford Pond and had two children with her. One of his daughters married Ralph Flanders , who represented the State of Vermont in the US Senate between 1946 and 1959 . James Hartness died in February 1934.

literature

• Roe, Joseph Wickham (1937), James Hartness: a Representative of the Machine Age at Its Best , New York: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 4, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• James Hartness in the National Governors Association (English)
• James Hartness in the database of Find a Grave (English)