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{{short description|American politician}}
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{{Infobox Governor

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{{Infobox officeholder
|name= John S. Fine
|name= John S. Fine
|image= governorjohnfine.jpg
|image= John S. Fine (PA).jpg
|caption=
|caption=
|order= 35th
|order= 35th
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|birth_name=John Sydney Fine
|birth_name=John Sydney Fine
|birth_date= {{birth date|1893|4|10}}
|birth_date= {{birth date|1893|4|10}}
|birth_place= [[Newport Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]], <br>[[United States]]
|birth_place= [[Newport Township, Pennsylvania]], [[United States|U.S.]]
|death_date= {{death date and age|1978|5|21|1893|4|10}}
|death_date= {{death date and age|1978|5|21|1893|4|10}}
|death_place=
|death_place=
|spouse=Helene Pennebecker Morgan (December 5, 1939–April 23, 1951; her death)<ref name=nant>{{cite news|first=|last=|title=Famous Nanticokians: John Sydney Fine |url=http://nanticokecity.com/famous.htm |work=City of Nanticoke |date= |accessdate=2015-12-31}}</ref>
|spouse=Helene Pennebecker Morgan (December 5, 1939–April 23, 1951; her death)<ref name=nant>{{cite news|title=Famous Nanticokians: John Sydney Fine |url=http://nanticokecity.com/famous.htm |work=City of Nanticoke |access-date=2015-12-31}}</ref>
|children=Two sons
|children=Two sons
|profession= [[Lawyer|Attorney]], [[Judge]]
|profession= [[Lawyer|Attorney]], [[Judge]]
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|party= [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|party= [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|age=
|age=
|religion= [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Episcopalian]]
}}
}}


'''John Sydney Fine''' (April 10, 1893 &ndash; May 21, 1978) was an [[United States|American]] lawyer, judge, and politician. A [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], he served as the 35th [[List of Governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] from 1951 to 1955.
'''John Sydney Fine''' (April 10, 1893 &ndash; May 21, 1978) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], he served as the 35th [[governor of Pennsylvania]] from 1951 to 1955.


==Early life and education==
==Early life==
Fine was born in [[Newport Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Newport Township]], [[Pennsylvania]], one of nine children of Jacob W. and Margaret (née Croop) Fine.<ref name=state>{{cite news|work=Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission|title=Governor John Sydney Fine|url=http://pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/1951-present/4285/john_s__fine/471469}}</ref> In 1895, the family moved to nearby [[Nanticoke, Pennsylvania|Nanticoke]], where Fine received his early education at local public schools.<ref name=yearbook>{{cite book|title=[[Current Biography]]|year=1952|publisher=[[H.W. Wilson Company]]|location=New York}}</ref> He milked cows and plowed fields on a coal company farm as a young boy, and later reported on local community news for the ''Wilkes-Barre Record'' as a teenager.<ref name=beers>{{cite book|title=Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday: The Tolerable Accommodation|last=Beers|first=Paul B.|year=1980|publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press}}</ref>
Fine was born in [[Newport Township, Pennsylvania|Newport Township]], [[Pennsylvania]], one of nine children of Jacob W. and Margaret (née Croop) Fine.<ref name=state>{{cite news|work=Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission|title=Governor John Sydney Fine|url=http://pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/1951-present/4285/john_s__fine/471469|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121214062741/http://pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/1951-present/4285/john_s__fine/471469|archive-date=2012-12-14}}</ref> In 1895, the family moved to nearby [[Nanticoke, Pennsylvania|Nanticoke]], where Fine received his early education at local public schools.<ref name=yearbook>{{cite book|title=Current Biography|year=1952|publisher=[[H.W. Wilson Company]]|location=New York|title-link=Current Biography}}</ref> He milked cows and plowed fields on a coal company farm as a young boy, and he later reported on local community news for the ''Wilkes-Barre Record'' as a teenager.<ref name=beers>{{cite book|title=Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday: The Tolerable Accommodation|last=Beers|first=Paul B.|year=1980|publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press}}</ref>


After graduating from Nanticoke High School as [[valedictorian]] in 1911, Fine studied at the [[The Pennsylvania State University — Dickinson School of Law|Dickinson School of Law]] in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]], earning his law degree in 1914.<ref name=governors>{{cite news|work=[[National Governors Association]]|title=Pennsylvania Governor John Sydney Fine|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/render/live/en/sites/NGA/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_pennsylvania/col2-content/main-content-list/title_fine_john.html}}</ref> He was admitted to practice law in [[Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Luzerne County]] (1914) and before the [[Superior Court of Pennsylvania]] (1915), opening his own practice in [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]].<ref name=yearbook/> From 1916 to 1920, he served as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] chairman of the Fourth Legislative District of Luzerne County.<ref name=state/>
After graduating from Nanticoke High School as [[valedictorian]] in 1911, Fine studied at the [[The Pennsylvania State University — Dickinson School of Law|Dickinson School of Law]] in [[Carlisle, Pennsylvania|Carlisle]], earning his law degree in 1914.<ref name=governors>{{cite news|work=[[National Governors Association]]|title=Pennsylvania Governor John Sydney Fine|url=http://www.nga.org/cms/render/live/en/sites/NGA/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_pennsylvania/col2-content/main-content-list/title_fine_john.html}}</ref> He was admitted to practice law in [[Luzerne County, Pennsylvania|Luzerne County]] (1914) and before the [[Superior Court of Pennsylvania]] (1915). He opened his own practice in [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania|Wilkes-Barre]].<ref name=yearbook/> From 1916 to 1920, he served as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] chairman of the Fourth Legislative District of Luzerne County.<ref name=state/>


==Military and political career==
==Military career==
During [[World War I]], Fine served with the 23rd [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] Engineers, reaching the rank of sergeant.<ref name=state/> In 1919, while stationed in [[Ireland]], he took postgraduate studies at [[Trinity College, Dublin|Trinity College]] of the [[University of Dublin]].<ref name=governors/> Following his military service, he resumed his law practice and became a partner in the firm Coughlin and Fine.<ref name=yearbook/> He served as secretary of the Republican County Committee from 1920 to 1922, and as chairman of the Luzerne County Republican Committee from 1922 to 1923.<ref name=beers/> On January 3, 1927, Governor [[Gifford Pinchot]] appointed Fine to fill a vacancy in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County.<ref name=yearbook/> He was elected to a regular ten-year term in November of that year, being re-elected to another term in 1939.<ref name=governors/> He served as a delegate to the [[1936 Republican National Convention]].<ref name=yearbook/> In 1939, he married Helene Pennebecker Morgan, to whom he remained married until her death in 1950; the couple had two sons.<ref name=state/>
During [[World War I]], Fine served with the 23rd [[US Army]] Engineers, reaching the rank of sergeant.<ref name=state/> In 1919, while he was stationed in [[Ireland]], he took postgraduate studies at [[Trinity College Dublin]].<ref name=governors/> After his military service, he resumed his law practice and became a partner in the law firm Coughlin and Fine.<ref name=yearbook/>
== Political career ==
[[File:Governorjohnfine.jpg|140px|thumb|left|Portrait of Fine.]]
He served as secretary of the Republican County Committee from 1920 to 1922 and as chairman of the Luzerne County Republican Committee from 1922 to 1923.<ref name=beers/> On January 3, 1927, Governor [[Gifford Pinchot]] appointed Fine to fill a vacancy in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County.<ref name=yearbook/> He was elected to a regular ten-year term in November of that year and was re-elected to another term in 1939.<ref name=governors/> He served as a delegate to the [[1936 Republican National Convention]].<ref name=yearbook/> In 1939, he married Helene Pennebecker Morgan and he remained married to her until her death in 1951; the couple had two sons.<ref name=state/>


In 1942, Fine was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination to the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]].<ref name=beers/> Governor [[James H. Duff]] appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Pennsylvania Superior Court on July 15, 1947.<ref name=governors/> He was elected to a permanent term in November 1947, serving in that position until he resigned in 1950 to campaign for governor.<ref name=governors/>
In 1942, Fine was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination to the [[Supreme Court of Pennsylvania]].<ref name=beers/> Governor [[James H. Duff]] appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Pennsylvania Superior Court on July 15, 1947.<ref name=governors/> He was elected to a permanent term in November 1947, serving in that position until he resigned in 1950 to campaign for governor.<ref name=governors/>


In 1950, after Governor Duff decided to run for the [[United States Senate]], Fine was elected the 35th [[List of Governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]].<ref name=state/> In the Republican primary, Fine (the favored candidate of Governor Duff) defeated Philadelphia millionaire Jay Cooke (the favored candidate of the conservative [[Joseph R. Grundy|Grundy]] machine).<ref name=beers/> In the general election, he narrowly defeated Democrat [[Richardson Dilworth]], who later became the [[mayor of Philadelphia]], by a margin of 86,000 votes.<ref name=state/>
In 1950, after Duff decided to run for the [[US Senate]], Fine was elected the 35th [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]].<ref name=state/> In the Republican primary, Fine, the favored candidate of Duff, defeated Philadelphia millionaire Jay Cooke, the favored candidate of the conservative machine of [[Joseph R. Grundy]].<ref name=beers/> In the general election, he narrowly defeated Democrat [[Richardson Dilworth]], who would later become the [[mayor of Philadelphia]], by 86,000 votes.<ref name=state/>


Fine was the first Pennsylvania governor to have his inauguration televised.
Fine was the first Pennsylvania governor to have his inauguration televised.

==Personal life==

In 1962, Fine was indicted for evading payment of $45,000 in taxes. The Newport Excavation Co. allegedly paid for improvements on his farm along with salaries to two of his farmhands considered taxable income.

Fine claimed ignorance to these issues and the [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]],<ref name=state/> [[David L. Lawrence]], testified as a character witness in Federal Court on behalf of ex-Gov Fine. As a result, he was found not guilty.

After the verdict was read Mrs. Fine said she was "thrilled and elated no end".<ref>Sunday Independent, Wilkes-Barre, PA and letter from Ellis R. Rogers District Director of the IRS, Scranton, PA.</ref>


==References==
==References==
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{{succession box | before=[[James H. Duff|James Duff]] |title=[[Governor of Pennsylvania]] | years=1951&ndash;1955 | after=[[George M. Leader|George Leader]]}}
{{succession box | before=[[James H. Duff|James Duff]] |title=[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] | years=1951&ndash;1955 | after=[[George M. Leader|George Leader]]}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box | title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[Governor of Pennsylvania]] | before=[[James H. Duff|James Duff]] | after=[[Lloyd H. Wood|Lloyd Wood]] | years=[[Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1950|1950]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] | before=[[James H. Duff|James Duff]] | after=[[Lloyd H. Wood|Lloyd Wood]] | years=[[1950 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1950]]}}
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{{s-end}}


{{Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania}}
{{Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


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[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1893 births]]
[[Category:1978 deaths]]
[[Category:1978 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Judges of the Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas]]
[[Category:American Episcopalians]]
[[Category:Politicians from Luzerne County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania Republicans]]
[[Category:Republican Party governors of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Governors of Pennsylvania]]
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[[Category:Pennsylvania state court judges]]
[[Category:Republican Party state governors of the United States]]
[[Category:Dickinson School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Dickinson School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century American judges]]
[[Category:20th-century American judges]]
[[Category:20th-century American Episcopalians]]
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[[Category:20th-century Pennsylvania politicians]]

Latest revision as of 22:42, 29 May 2024

John S. Fine
35th Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
January 16, 1951 – January 18, 1955
LieutenantLloyd Wood
Preceded byJames Duff
Succeeded byGeorge Leader
Personal details
Born
John Sydney Fine

(1893-04-10)April 10, 1893
Newport Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedMay 21, 1978(1978-05-21) (aged 85)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseHelene Pennebecker Morgan (December 5, 1939–April 23, 1951; her death)[1]
ChildrenTwo sons
Alma materDickinson School of Law
ProfessionAttorney, Judge

John Sydney Fine (April 10, 1893 – May 21, 1978) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician. A Republican, he served as the 35th governor of Pennsylvania from 1951 to 1955.

Early life[edit]

Fine was born in Newport Township, Pennsylvania, one of nine children of Jacob W. and Margaret (née Croop) Fine.[2] In 1895, the family moved to nearby Nanticoke, where Fine received his early education at local public schools.[3] He milked cows and plowed fields on a coal company farm as a young boy, and he later reported on local community news for the Wilkes-Barre Record as a teenager.[4]

After graduating from Nanticoke High School as valedictorian in 1911, Fine studied at the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, earning his law degree in 1914.[5] He was admitted to practice law in Luzerne County (1914) and before the Superior Court of Pennsylvania (1915). He opened his own practice in Wilkes-Barre.[3] From 1916 to 1920, he served as Republican chairman of the Fourth Legislative District of Luzerne County.[2]

Military career[edit]

During World War I, Fine served with the 23rd US Army Engineers, reaching the rank of sergeant.[2] In 1919, while he was stationed in Ireland, he took postgraduate studies at Trinity College Dublin.[5] After his military service, he resumed his law practice and became a partner in the law firm Coughlin and Fine.[3]

Political career[edit]

Portrait of Fine.

He served as secretary of the Republican County Committee from 1920 to 1922 and as chairman of the Luzerne County Republican Committee from 1922 to 1923.[4] On January 3, 1927, Governor Gifford Pinchot appointed Fine to fill a vacancy in the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County.[3] He was elected to a regular ten-year term in November of that year and was re-elected to another term in 1939.[5] He served as a delegate to the 1936 Republican National Convention.[3] In 1939, he married Helene Pennebecker Morgan and he remained married to her until her death in 1951; the couple had two sons.[2]

In 1942, Fine was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.[4] Governor James H. Duff appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Pennsylvania Superior Court on July 15, 1947.[5] He was elected to a permanent term in November 1947, serving in that position until he resigned in 1950 to campaign for governor.[5]

In 1950, after Duff decided to run for the US Senate, Fine was elected the 35th Governor of Pennsylvania.[2] In the Republican primary, Fine, the favored candidate of Duff, defeated Philadelphia millionaire Jay Cooke, the favored candidate of the conservative machine of Joseph R. Grundy.[4] In the general election, he narrowly defeated Democrat Richardson Dilworth, who would later become the mayor of Philadelphia, by 86,000 votes.[2]

Fine was the first Pennsylvania governor to have his inauguration televised.

Personal life[edit]

In 1962, Fine was indicted for evading payment of $45,000 in taxes. The Newport Excavation Co. allegedly paid for improvements on his farm along with salaries to two of his farmhands considered taxable income.

Fine claimed ignorance to these issues and the Governor of Pennsylvania,[2] David L. Lawrence, testified as a character witness in Federal Court on behalf of ex-Gov Fine. As a result, he was found not guilty.

After the verdict was read Mrs. Fine said she was "thrilled and elated no end".[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Famous Nanticokians: John Sydney Fine". City of Nanticoke. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Governor John Sydney Fine". Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Archived from the original on 2012-12-14.
  3. ^ a b c d e Current Biography. New York: H.W. Wilson Company. 1952.
  4. ^ a b c d Beers, Paul B. (1980). Pennsylvania Politics Today and Yesterday: The Tolerable Accommodation. Pennsylvania State University Press.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Pennsylvania Governor John Sydney Fine". National Governors Association.
  6. ^ Sunday Independent, Wilkes-Barre, PA and letter from Ellis R. Rogers District Director of the IRS, Scranton, PA.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Pennsylvania
1951–1955 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania
1950 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_S._Fine&oldid=1226324757"