John Sydney Fine

John Sydney Fine (born April 10, 1893 in Nanticoke , Luzerne County , Pennsylvania , † May 21, 1978 ) was an American politician and from 1951 to 1955 the 37th governor of the state of Pennsylvania.

Early years

In his early teens, young John worked on a farm. After attending Nanticoke High School , he studied law at the Dickinson School of Law . After his successful examination and his admission to the bar in 1914, he began to practice in his new profession in Wilkes-Barre . In May 1917, a month after the United States entered World War I, Fine joined the US Army. He was stationed in Ireland in early 1919 . There he used the time to complete his knowledge at the University of Dublin . After returning home, he continued to practice law. He later became a partner in the law firm Coughlin and Fine .

Political rise

John Fine was a member of the Republicans . Between 1916 and 1920, with the exception of his military service, he was district chairman of his party. Until 1923 he held other local party offices. In 1927 began a 23-year career as a judge. That year, Governor Gifford Pinchot named him a judge on the Luzerne County Court of Appeals. An office he held until 1947. He was then Governor James H. Duff to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania ( Superior Court appointed). There he remained until March 1, 1950. From that point on, he focused on his candidacy for the office of governor. This was supported by Governor Duff, who was running for the US Senate at the same time . His candidacy was not without controversy within the party, however, and so there was an exciting primary, in which Fine prevailed. After being nominated by his party, he was also able to win the actual election against the Democratic Mayor of Philadelphia , Richardson Dilworth .

Governor of Pennsylvania

John Fine began his four-year term on January 16, 1951. His inauguration was the first televised inauguration of a Pennsylvania governor. In April 1951, his wife Helene, with whom he had two children, died. After Simon Snyder, he was only the second widower in the governor's office. At the beginning of his tenure, the economy was in recession. The number of unemployed had doubled in two years. To finance the budget, the governor had to introduce a one percent VAT. Another point of his government was administrative reform; the Ministry of Health in particular was reorganized. In the field of school policy, the "baby boom" after World War II meant that more teachers had to be employed and more schools built. However, many problems remained unsolved in this area. There were still large school classes and too few teachers. Governor Fine was also committed to protecting the environment.

An adoption law was passed during Fine's tenure. Prison reform has also been tackled and the motorway network expanded. Fine was a supporter of Joseph McCarthy and supported his committee on un-American activities . On the other hand, he was for racial equality. Afro-Americans were allowed to work in the State Police and in the National Guard from his tenure. The first nuclear power plant in Germany was built in Shippingport in 1954. In 1952, Fine was Head of Delegation for the Republican Representatives from Pennsylvania to the Republican National Convention in Chicago . There he left an unhappy impression when his delegation could not agree on a candidate.

Further life

After his tenure ended in January 1955, he returned to practice as a lawyer. He lived on a farm in Lucerne County. Together with his brother-in-law, he was also involved in coal mining and the construction industry. In 1957 he tried unsuccessfully to become a judge in Lucerne County again.

Web links

• John Sydney Fine in the database of the National Governors Association (English)
• The governors of Pennsylvania (English)
• John Sydney Fine in the database of Find a Grave (English)