G. Harold Wagner (July 19, 1900 – April 20, 1960) was an American politician from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

who served as

Pennsylvania State Treasurer The Pennsylvania State Treasurer is the head of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, an independent department of state government. The state treasurer is elected every four years. Treasurers are limited to two consecutive terms. The Pennsylva ...

and Pennsylvania State Auditor General.

Early life and education

Wagner was born in

Drifton, Pennsylvania Drifton is an unincorporated community located in Hazle Township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Drifton is located along Pennsylvania Route 940, northwest of Jeddo and southwest of Freeland Freeland may refer to: Places Canada *Freeland, ...

to George and Sallie (Kitchen) Wagner. He attended the Mining and Mechanical Institute of Freeland, and graduated from Wilkes-Barre Business School. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Wagner enlisted in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

, and served at the U.S. Naval Mine Depot in

Yorktown, Virginia Yorktown is a census-designated place (CDP) in York County, Virginia. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1682. Yorktown's population was 195 as of the 2010 census, while York Cou ...

Career

Prior to entering politics, Wagner held clerical positions with two local railroads, and worked as editor and business manager for the Dallas Post newspaper in

Dallas, Pennsylvania Dallas is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,692 at the 2020 census. The local government describes the borough as the "Pride" of the Back Mountain (a 118 square mile region in northern Luzerne County). ...

. He served as Treasurer of

, and as Deputy Clerk of Courts of

Luzerne County Luzerne County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania's second-largest county by total area. As of ...

; and he later headed the inheritance tax department of

before his appointment as the county's property assessor in 1930. Originally 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 ...

, Wagner switched to the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

in 1934, before seeking statewide office. He served as

from 1941 to 1945 and as Pennsylvania State Auditor General from 1945 to 1949. In 1952, he unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination to the United States Senate to

Guy K. Bard Guy Kurtz Bard (October 24, 1895 – November 23, 1953) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Education and career Born on October 24, 1895, ...

.John S. Langdon, "Eisenhower Wins Easily In State Balloting", ''The Huntingdon Daily News'' (April 23, 1952), p. 1, 13.

Personal life

Wagner was married to Madeline (Stroh) Wagner, with whom he had five children; to Carolyn (Bonomo) Wagner; and to Dorothy M. (Singer) Wagner, his wife at the time of his death. After retirement from public life, Wagner moved to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

where he was involved in real estate development in

Ft. Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

and

Pompano Beach Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. As of the 2020 ...

. He later moved to

Black Mountain, North Carolina Black Mountain is a town in Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,848 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town is named for the old train stop at the Black Mountain Depot ...

where he subdivided property and built homes until his death. In 1960, Wagner suffered a heart attack and died at an

Asheville, North Carolina Asheville ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Buncombe County, North Carolina. Located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the state's 11th-most populous cit ...

hospital near Black Mountain. His remains were interred at Freeland Cemetery in

Freeland, Pennsylvania Freeland is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was originally called Birbeckville, South Heberton, and Freehold. Freeland is south of Wilkes-Barre and northeast of Hazleton. It was incorporated as a borough on September ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagner, G. Harold 1900 births 1960 deaths 20th-century American politicians Editors of Pennsylvania newspapers Pennsylvania Auditors General Pennsylvania Democrats State treasurers of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Republicans