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Fred E. Sterling (June 29, 1869 – February 10, 1934) was an American newspaper editor and politician.
Born in
Fred E. Sterling (June 29, 1869 – February 10, 1934) was an American newspaper editor and politician.
Born in Dixon, Illinois
Dixon is a city and the county seat of Lee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,733 as of the 2010 census, down from 15,941 in 2000. The city is named after founder John Dixon, who operated a rope ferry service across the R ...
, Sterling moved with his family to a farm in Huron, South Dakota
Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. It is the county seat of Beadle County. The '' Huron Daily Plainsman'', also referred to as the ''Plainsman'', is the newspaper. The first settlement at Huron was made in 1880. The ci ...
when he was 11. Sterling was a newspaper editor in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, located in the far northern part of the state. Situated on the banks of the Rock River, Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County (a small portion of the city is located in Ogle County). ...
and started the Rockford Register-Gazette. Sterling was involved with the Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
*Republican Party (Liberia)
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. He served on the Rockford City Council. In 1917, Sterling was appointed to the Illinois Public Utilities Commission and then in 1919 was elected Illinois State Treasurer
The Treasurer of Illinois is an elected official of the U.S. state of Illinois. The office was created by the Constitution of Illinois.
Current Occupant
The current Treasurer of Illinois is Democrat Mike Frerichs. He was first elected to head t ...
. He then served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois from 1921 until 1933. He died in Rockford, Illinois due to a heart ailment and high blood pressure.'Illinois Blue Book 1931-1932, Biographical Sketch of Fred E. Sterling, pg. 103
He was indicted for embezzlement
Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...
after he left office as state treasurer, but the charges were not pursued while another embezzlement case against Illinois governor Len Small
Lennington "Len" Small (June 16, 1862 – May 17, 1936) was an American politician who served as the 26th Governor of Illinois from 1921 to 1929. He previously was a member of the Illinois state senate from the 16th District from 1901 to 1903 a ...
was under way. After that case was settled, Sterling's case was dismissed by Illinois Attorney General Oscar Carlstrom, but Carlstrom's successor, Otto Kerner, reinstated the charges, and they were still pending when Sterling died.
He was survived by his wife, Anna, and a son and daughter, Arthur and Olive Sterling.
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