Chester Hardy Aldrich (November 10, 1863March 10, 1924) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 16th governor of Nebraska and as a justice of the

Nebraska Supreme Court The Nebraska Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Nebraska. The court consists of a chief justice and six associate justices. Each justice is initially appointed by the governor of Nebraska; using the Missouri Plan, each jus ...

Personal life

Aldrich was born in

Pierpont Pierpont may refer to: Surname * Francis Harrison Pierpont (1814–1899), Governor of Virginia * Harry Pierpont (1902–1934), Prohibition-era gangster * James Pierpont (minister) (1659–1714), founder of Yale University * James Lord Pierpont (1 ...

Ashtabula County, Ohio Ashtabula County ( ) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,574. The county seat is Jefferson. The county was created in 1808 and later organized in 1811. The name Ashtabula de ...

. He married Sylvia Estelle Stroman on June 4, 1889, and they had five children. He was a member of the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

, a Freemason and a

Knight Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

. He died in office on March 10, 1924.

Education

After he graduated from the prep school at Hillsdale College in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, Aldrich entered the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

as a freshman in 1884. While at Ohio State he became a champion orator, served as an editor of ''

The Lantern ''The Lantern'' is an independent daily newspaper in Columbus, Ohio, by students at Ohio State University. It is one of the largest campus newspapers in the United States, reaching a circulation of 15,000. Copies of the paper are free and avail ...

'', and in 1886 became the captain of an abortive first attempt at forming an Ohio State University football team. He graduated from Ohio State in 1888 with an A.B. In a commencement address, delivered at his university soon after his election as governor of Nebraska, he offered his views on the topic of " Progressive Citizenship."

Political life

Aldrich settled in

Ulysses, Nebraska Ulysses is a village in Butler County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 171 at the 2010 census. History The first post office in Ulysses was established in 1869. The village is named for Ulysses S. Grant. Geography Ulysses is located ...

, where he worked as a high school principal and livestock rancher while he studied law. He passed the Nebraska Bar in 1890 and began practicing law in David City. He served as mayor of David City, and was elected to the Nebraska State Senate in 1906. As a state senator he wrote the Railway Commission Law and the Aldrich Freight Rate Law, which attacked the power of the Nebraska railroad trusts. When the laws were brought to Federal Court, Aldrich personally served as counsel for the state and the laws were sustained. In 1910, with support from Populist Democrat

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...

, and over opposition of the trusts, Aldrich was elected governor of Nebraska. During his tenure as governor, a co-operative association act was sanctioned; a board of control for state institutions was established; a sanitary health bill was authorized; and a road program was initiated. He held the position until 1913. Aldrich was elected as a justice of the

in 1918, and remained in that position until his death.

References

External links

National Governors Association
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Chester Hardy People from Ashtabula County, Ohio Republican Party governors of Nebraska Republican Party Nebraska state senators Justices of the Nebraska Supreme Court Nebraska state court judges Hillsdale College alumni Methodists from Nebraska 1863 births 1924 deaths People from David City, Nebraska Mayors of places in Nebraska People from Butler County, Nebraska Ohio State Buckeyes football players