Thomas B. Fletcher

Thomas Brooks Fletcher (October 10, 1879 – July 1, 1945) was an American newspaperman and politician who served five terms as a U.S. representative from Ohio between 1925 and 1939.

Biography Born in Mechanicstown, Ohio, Fletcher attended the public schools, a private school at Augusta, Ohio, and the Richard School of Dramatic Art in Cleveland. He graduated from Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio, in 1900.

Newspaper career He was editor of the Daily Leader, Alliance, Ohio, from 1903 to 1905. He served on the staff of the Morning News, Canton, Ohio, from 1905 to 1906. He became a Redpath lecturer in 1906. He was editor and publisher of the Daily Tribune at Marion, Ohio, from 1910 to 1922.

Congress Fletcher was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-ninth and Seventieth Congresses (March 4, 1925 – March 3, 1929). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1928 to the Seventy-first Congress.

Fletcher was elected to the Seventy-third, Seventy-fourth, and Seventy-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939). He served as chairman of the Committee on Election of President, Vice President, and Representatives (Seventy-fourth and Seventy-fifth Congresses), Committee on the Census (Seventy-fifth Congress). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth Congress and for election in 1942 to the Seventy-eighth Congress.

Later career and death He resumed lecturing and chautauqua work.

He died in Washington, D.C., July 1, 1945. He was interred in Mechanicstown Cemetery, Mechanicstown, Ohio.

Electoral history Year Democratic Republican Other 1924 √ Thomas B. Fletcher: 38,439 Clint Cole (incumbent): 33,258 Charles E. Lukens: 555 1926 √ Thomas B. Fletcher (incumbent): 30,167 James R. Hopley: 23,247 1928 Thomas B. Fletcher (incumbent): 38,651 √ Grant E. Mouser Jr.: 42,199 1932 √ Thomas B. Fletcher: 45,930 Grant E. Mouser Jr.: 41,234 1934 √ Thomas B. Fletcher (incumbent): 39,466 Gertrude Jones: 36,112 1936 √ Thomas B. Fletcher (incumbent): 49,668 Grant E. Mouser Jr.: 42,565 1938 Thomas B. Fletcher (incumbent): 33,972 √ Frederick C. Smith: 40,772