Chester A. Fowler

Chester Almeron Fowler (December 24, 1862 – April 8, 1948) was an American judge in the state of Wisconsin. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the last 19 years of his life, after serving 25 years as a Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge.

The Honorable Chester A. Fowler
Fowler circa 1940
Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
In office December 1929 – April 8, 1948
Appointed by	Walter J. Kohler, Sr.
Preceded by	Aad J. Vinje
Succeeded by	John E. Martin
Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge for the 18th Circuit
In office January 1, 1905 – December 1929
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Clayton F. Van Pelt
Personal details
Born	Chester Almeron Fowler (1862-12-24)December 24, 1862 Rubicon, Wisconsin
Died	April 8, 1948(1948-04-08) (aged 85) Madison, Wisconsin
Resting place	Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Wisconsin
Spouses	Carrie J. Smith (m. 1892; died 1946)
Children	Mary (Boynton) (b. 1893; died 1964) Dwight Fowler (b. 1894; died 1981)
Parents	Franklin Dwight Fowler (father) Maria Antoinette (Cole) Fowler (mother)
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin

Biography

Fowler was born Chester Almeron Fowler to Franklin Dwight and Maria Fowler in Rubicon, Wisconsin.^[1] On May 30, 1892, he married Carrie J. Smith. He graduated from what is now the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and taught school. He studied law in Iowa and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He then practiced law in Omaha, Nebraska, until returning to Wisconsin with his law partner.^[2]

Career

Fowler, circa 1929

Fowler was a circuit judge in Wisconsin from 1905 to 1929. He was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court at the end of 1929 to replace the deceased Chief Justice Aad J. Vinje. The following spring, he won election to the remainder of the term and was re-elected twice more before dying in office in 1948.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1916)

1916 Wisconsin Supreme Court election^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, April 1916
	Nonpartisan	Franz C. Eschweiler	70,380	23.40%
	Nonpartisan	William J. Turner	64,568	21.46%
	Nonpartisan	Ellsworth B. Belden	57,670	19.17%
	Nonpartisan	Walter D. Corrigan	56,666	18.84%
	Nonpartisan	Chester A. Fowler	51,033	16.97%
		Scattering	489	0.16%
Plurality			5,812	1.93%
Total votes			300,806	100.0%

Wisconsin Supreme Court (1930, 1931, 1941)

1930 Wisconsin Supreme Court special election^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, April 1, 1930
	Nonpartisan	Chester A. Fowler (incumbent)	198,572	41.39%
	Nonpartisan	John W. Reynolds Sr.	184,317	38.42%
	Nonpartisan	Ray J. Cannon	96,908	20.20%
		Scattering	433	0.09%
Plurality			14,255	2.97%
Total votes			480,230	100.0%

1931 Wisconsin Supreme Court election^[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, April 7, 1931
	Nonpartisan	Chester A. Fowler (incumbent)	254,534	46.87%	+5.52%
	Nonpartisan	John W. Reynolds, Sr.	230,902	42.52%	+4.14%
	Nonpartisan	George L. Mensing	57,590	10.61%
Plurality			23,632	4.35%	+1.38%
Total votes			543,026	100.0%	+13.08%

1941 Wisconsin Supreme Court election^[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, April 1, 1941
	Nonpartisan	Chester A. Fowler (incumbent)	290,276	54.89%	+8.02%
	Nonpartisan	Alvin C. Reis	238,562	45.11%
Plurality			51,714	9.78%	+5.43%
Total votes			528,838	100.0%	-2.61%