Allen Miller Fletcher (September 25, 1853 – May 11, 1922) was an American politician who served as the 54th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

from 1912 to 1915.

Biography

Fletcher was born in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, on September 25, 1853. The son of a successful banker whose family was originally from

Proctorsville, Vermont Proctorsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Cavendish, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of the CDP was 454. Geography The center of Proctorsville is located just east of the jun ...

, he was educated at Willston Seminary in East Hampton, Massachusetts, and became a banker and businessman with homes in Indianapolis and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In 1881 he built a summer home in Proctorsville. He married Mary E. Bence and they had three children. In 1899 he moved to New York City and became a member of the Stock Exchange. Six years later he retired to spend more time in Vermont. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Fletcher was a Proctorsville Village Trustee and served in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

from 1902 to 1903, the

Vermont State Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

from 1904 to 1905, and the Vermont House again from 1906 to 1912. He was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

in 1908. Fletcher was a leader in the legislature; during his Senate term he was chairman of the Finance Committee. During the 1906 to 1908 legislative session, he was chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. In his final two House terms, he was chairman of both the Rules and Ways & Means Committees. In 1912, Fletcher was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

Governor, serving from 1912 to 1915. Fletcher was selected by the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

after a three-way race including a

Progressive party Progressive Party may refer to: Active parties * Progressive Party, Brazil * Progressive Party (Chile) * Progressive Party of Working People, Cyprus * Dominica Progressive Party * Progressive Party (Iceland) * Progressive Party (Sardinia), Ita ...

nominee prevented any candidate from obtaining the popular vote majority required by the

Vermont Constitution The Constitution of the State of Vermont is the fundamental body of law of the U.S. state of Vermont, describing and framing its government. It was adopted in 1793 following Vermont's admission to the Union in 1791 and is largely based upon the ...

. While in office the end of Fletcher's term was extended from October 1914 to January 1915 as part of changing the start and end dates of all statewide offices to January. After leaving the Governor's office, Fletcher returned to his business interests, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

nomination in 1916, losing to incumbent

Carroll S. Page Carroll Smalley Page (January 10, 1843December 3, 1925) was an American businessman and politician. He served as the 43rd governor of Vermont and a United States senator. A native of Westfield, Vermont, Page was the son of a successful farme ...

Death and legacy

Fletcher died of a cerebral hemorrhage while staying at Rutland's Berwick Hotel. He is interred at

Crown Hill Cemetery Crown Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery located at 700 West 38th Street in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. The privately owned cemetery was established in 1863 at Strawberry Hill, whose summit was renamed "The Crown", a high poi ...

. Fletcher's family made numerous contributions for civic causes in Cavendish and

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The t ...

including constructing and donating Ludlow's Fletcher Library in 1901. His home "The Castle" is now an inn and restaurant near

Okemo Mountain Okemo Mountain Resort is a ski resort located in the town of Ludlow, Vermont, United States. The resort experienced 600,000 skier visits in 2009. Parents Magazine rated it the Top US Family Snow Resort. History Okemo was founded in 1955 b ...

ski resort. In addition, his heirs donated the Ludlow property that is today the Fletcher Farm School, a non-profit educational center that offers instruction in the arts. Fletcher's son Allen M. Fletcher Jr. served in the Vermont House and Senate in the 1940s.Council of State Governments, State Administrative Officials Classified by Functions, 1949, page 147

References

External links

National Governors Association
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Allen M. 1853 births 1922 deaths Politicians from Indianapolis People from Windsor County, Vermont Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives Republican Party Vermont state senators Republican Party governors of Vermont