George M. Leader

George Michael Leader (January 17, 1918 – May 9, 2013) was an American politician. He served as the 36th governor of Pennsylvania from January 18, 1955, until January 20, 1959. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and a native of York County, Pennsylvania. He was the only person from that county ever to be elected governor of the state until the election of Tom Wolf in 2014.

Early life George Leader was the third child of Guy and Beulah Leader. He grew up on their York County poultry farm, and was educated in a one-room schoolhouse. He later graduated from York High School, then attended Gettysburg College, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania from which he received an undergraduate degree. He did graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on philosophy, politics, and economics. Leader received an MGA from the Fels Institute of Government at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1939, he married Mary Jane Strickler, and, during World War II, he served on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific Theater.

Career Following the war, Leader began a family-operated chicken hatchery, and served in leadership positions in the York County Democratic Party. He successfully ran for Pennsylvania State Senate in 1950, winning the 28th district seat previously held by his father, Guy. In 1952, he ran for State Treasurer of Pennsylvania. Despite narrowly losing that race, he built name recognition for himself that would be useful for any future run for statewide office. He also increased funding to education, engaged in a highly publicized campaign to reform Pennsylvania's state mental hospitals, and carved out a role for the state in protecting the civil rights of African-Americans and other minorities. As governor, Leader unsuccessfully attempted to create a graduated income tax.

Leader was unable to run for re-election in 1958 because the Pennsylvania Constitution that was in place at that time term limited governors to a single four-year term. Instead, he opted to run that year for a seat in the Senate, a race which he lost to Republican Congressman Hugh Scott. in the 1980s and 90s, and resided in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.

Upon the death of former Delaware governor Elbert Carvel in 2005, Leader became the earliest serving US governor of any state still living until his death in 2013.

Leader died on May 9, 2013, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, at the age of 95 at Country Meadows Retirement Community, which he founded. He was the last living American governor of a U.S. state who left office in the 1950s.