Joseph Franklin Biddle

Joseph Franklin Biddle (September 14, 1871 – December 3, 1936) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Career Joseph F. Biddle was born in Charlesville, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Millersville State Teachers’ College at Millersville, Pennsylvania, in 1894 and from the law department of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1897. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Bedford. He moved to Everett, Pennsylvania, in 1903 and engaged in the practice of law and in newspaper publishing. He moved to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in 1918 and engaged in the printing and publishing business and in banking. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Publishers’ Association from 1924 to 1936, director of the National Editorial Association from 1926 to 1936, and a member of the Republican State committee from 1932 to 1936.

In November 1932, Biddle was the successful Republican nominee in the special election held to fill the vacancy in the Seventy-second Congress caused by the death of Edward M. Beers. He completed Beers's term, November 8, 1932 to March 3, 1933, but was not a candidate for a full term.

After leaving Congress, Biddle resumed the printing and newspaper publishing business in Huntingdon, where he died. His interment is in Trinity Churchyard, Friends’ Cove, near Bedford.

Family publishing business Joseph F. Biddle married Anna Patton Hunter (1876–1936) on June 17, 1903. They had four daughters and one son.

Biddle founded a newspaper, The Daily News of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1922. Upon the deaths of Joseph F. Biddle and wife, Anna Biddle (both died in 1936), ownership of the Biddle publishing assets passed to their five children: