Leander J. Pierson (November 29, 1872 – October 21, 1935) was an American politician and

quarryman A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their environ ...

. Born in

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

, Pierson went to Oshkosh Normal School (now

University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (UW Oshkosh or UW Osh) is a public university in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs to nearly 14,000 students e ...

). He was in the quarrying business in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. From 1908 to 1910, Pierson served on the

Milwaukee Common Council The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting liberal politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a strongho ...

. In 1918, he ran for the 13th district of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

(Milwaukee's 13th

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

) as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

against

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 ...

incumbent Hugo Jeske and

Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

John M. Sell John M. Sell (October 9, 1863 – September 19, 1930) was an American house painter, interior decorator and trade union activist from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who served one term as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Backgroun ...

, coming in second to Sells' 1,057 votes but ahead of Jeske's 677. In 1920, Pierson ran against Sells again, this time as a Republican (there was no Democratic candidate), and beat Sells with 2,894 votes to Sells' 2,031. He was assigned to the

standing committee A committee or commission is a body of one or more persons subordinate to a deliberative assembly. A committee is not itself considered to be a form of assembly. Usually, the assembly sends matters into a committee as a way to explore them more ...

s on state affairs and on

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

, chairing the latter. He ran for re-election in 1922 as a Republican, but in a fierce contest (

Victor Berger Victor Luitpold Berger (February 28, 1860August 7, 1929) was an Austrian–American socialist politician and journalist who was a founding member of the Social Democratic Party of America and its successor, the Socialist Party of America. Born in ...

was reported to have said, "Mr. Leander Pierson belongs in the legislature of Pennsylvania, or New York, or Hell-- but not in Wisconsin!") was unseated by Socialist Richard Elsner, who won with 1,679 votes to Pierson's 1,667. Pierson died of a stroke October 21, 1935 in

Bedford, Virginia Bedford is an incorporated town and former Independent city (United States)#Virginia, independent city located within Bedford County, Virginia, Bedford County in the U.S. state of Virginia. It serves as the county seat of Bedford County. As of the ...

.Associated Press. "Former Wisconsin Assemblyman Dies." '' La Crosse Tribune and Leader Press'' October 23, 1935, p. 6, col. 5

Notes

1872 births 1935 deaths Wisconsin Democrats Politicians from Oshkosh, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh alumni Businesspeople from Milwaukee Milwaukee Common Council members Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Republican-1870s-stub