Fred Richard Zeller (September 5, 1899 – March 7, 1978) was an American politician, businessman, and white-collar criminal who served as

Connecticut State Comptroller The State Comptroller is the chief fiscal guardian of the State of Connecticut. The duties and responsibilities of the state comptroller include, among other things, overseeing state accounting, preparing state financial reports, paying and administ ...

for 14 years between 1939 and 1959.

Political career

Zeller served 14 years as Connecticut State Comptroller between 1939 and 1959. A Republican, he ran for governor in

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

but lost to Democratic incumbent Abraham Ribicoff, who garnered 62% of the vote to Zeller's 37%. After serving on the Stonington Board of Education, Zeller had served as a member of the

Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

from 1936 to 1938.

Conviction

In 1966, Zeller pled guilty to having embezzled $26,297 from the First Baptist Church of Stonington, Connecticut, where he had served as church treasurer for many years. He was sentenced to 1–3 years in prison and served nine months.

Personal life

The son of a German immigrant, Zeller was born in Stonington, where he lived his entire life other than short sojourns in West Hartford and Seekonk, Massachusetts, while in his 70s. He attended Stonington's public schools and worked as secretary and treasurer for a

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

-based manufacturer and as president of a New York-based manufacturer. Zeller died at Providence Hospital in Rhode Island at the age of 78. He was survived by his wife, Marjorie Mackenzie Zeller, and two daughters.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zeller, Fred R. 1899 births 1978 deaths People from Stonington, Connecticut American people of German descent 20th-century American politicians Connecticut Comptrollers Republican Party Connecticut state senators Businesspeople from Connecticut American people convicted of fraud Connecticut politicians convicted of crimes