Fletcher D. Proctor

Fletcher Dutton Proctor (November 7, 1860 – September 27, 1911) was an American businessman, a Republican politician, and the 51st Governor of Vermont, who served from 1906 to 1908.

Fletcher D. Proctor
51st Governor of Vermont
In office October 4, 1906 – October 8, 1908
Lieutenant	George H. Prouty
Preceded by	Charles J. Bell
Succeeded by	George H. Prouty
Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1900–1902
Preceded by	Kittredge Haskins
Succeeded by	John H. Merrifield
Member of the Vermont Senate
In office 1892-1893
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office 1904-1905
In office 1900-1902
In office 1890-1892
Personal details
Born	Fletcher Dutton Proctor November 7, 1860 Cavendish, Vermont
Died	September 27, 1911 (aged 50) Proctor, Vermont
Resting place	South Street Cemetery, Proctor, Vermont
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Minnie Robinson Proctor (1865 - 1928)
Relations	Redfield Proctor Jr. (brother)
Children	3, including Mortimer R. Proctor
Parents	Redfield Proctor Emily Dutton
Profession	Executive, Vermont Marble Company
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States Vermont
Branch/service	Vermont National Guard
Years of service	1884-1887
Rank	First lieutenant
Unit	1st Infantry Regiment, Vermont National Guard

Personal life

Proctor was born in Cavendish, Vermont on November 7, 1860, the son of Vermont Governor Redfield Proctor and brother of Governor Redfield Proctor Jr. He was raised in Proctor, attended Middlebury College, and graduated from Amherst College in 1882.

He married Minnie E. Robinson on May 26, 1886, and they had three children, Emily Proctor, Mortimer R. Proctor (who later served as governor), and Minnie Proctor.[1]

Career

Proctor was employed at his family's business, Vermont Marble, becoming President in 1889.[2] He also served as President of the Clarendon & Pittsford Railroad[3] and the Proctor Trust Company.[4]

In 1883, Proctor was elected head of the Vermont division of the Sons of Veterans with the honorary rank of colonel, and he was often addressed by that title in contemporary newspaper accounts.[5] Proctor enlisted in the Vermont National Guard's Company A, 1st Infantry Regiment in 1884 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was promoted to first lieutenant and inspector of rifle practice on the regimental staff before resigning in 1887.[6]

Proctor served in several local offices, including town selectman and school board member. A Republican, from 1886 to 1888 he was Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs (chief assistant) for Governor Ebenezer J. Ormsbee.[7]

Proctor was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1890 to 1892 and the Vermont Senate from 1892 to 1893. He served in the Vermont House again from 1900 to 1902 and 1904 to 1905, and was Speaker from 1900 to 1902.[8]

Governor

Elected governor in 1906, Proctor served from October 4, 1906 to October 8, 1908.[9] As governor, rejecting his father's fiscal conservatism, he declared that the state had "a higher duty than to live cheaply." Proctor advocated progressive forestry policies, reorganized Vermont's courts and reformed the commission that regulated utilities and railroads.[10] During his term as governor, Proctor's executive clerk was Aaron H. Grout, the son of former Governor Josiah Grout.[11]

As governor, it also fell to Proctor to appoint a temporary replacement to the United States Senate seat left vacant by the death of his father, Redfield Proctor. He named former governor and congressman John W. Stewart, who served until a special election could be held to fill the remainder of Redfield Proctor's term. Fletcher Proctor was presumed to be prepared to follow in his father's footsteps, but declined to run for the Senate seat, which was won by Carroll S. Page.[12][13][14] After completing his term as governor, Proctor returned to Vermont Marble and his other business interests in the town of Proctor.

Death

Proctor died in the town of Proctor on September 27, 1911 after an illness of several weeks.[15][16][17] He is interred at South Street Cemetery in Proctor.[18]

References

1. Fletcher D. Proctir. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. 1910. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
2. Vermont Secretary of State, Legislative Directory, 1892, page 323
3. Vermont Board of Railroad Commissioners, Biennial Report, Volume 6, 1898, page 203
4. Charles S. Forbes, History of the Republican Party, The Vermonter magazine, June, 1906, pages 178 to 179
5. Partridge, Frank C. (September–October 1911). "Death Notice: Fletcher Dutton Proctor". The Vermonter. White River Junction, VT: Cas. R. Cummings. p. 350 – via Google Books.
6. Vermont Men of Today, Fletcher Dutton Proctor, The Vermonter magazine, May, 1902, page 448
7. The Legislature of 1900, Speaker Fletcher Dutton Proctor, The Vermonter magazine, November, 1900, pages 58 to 60
8. Vermont Historical Society, Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1918, pages 139 to 140
9. "Fletcher D. Proctor". National Governors Association. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
10. John J. Duffy, Samuel B. Hand, Ralph H. Orth, The Vermont Encyclopedia, 2003, page 241
11. Vermont General Assembly, Acts and Resolves Passed by the Vermont General Assembly, 1906, page 781
12. Atlanta Constitution, Stewart Goes to Senate, March 25, 1908
13. New York Times, "Calfskin" Senator From Vermont Now, October 25, 1908
14. New York Times, Ex-Senator Stewart Dead, October 30, 1915
15. Fitchburg Daily Sentinel, Fletcher Proctor Sick, September 6, 1911
16. Vermont Death Records, 1909-2008, entry for Fletcher Dutton Proctor, accessed August 5, 2012
17. Newport Mercury, Fletcher Proctor Dead, September 30, 1911
18. "South Street Cemetery, Proctor". Vermont Old Cemetery Association. Retrieved November 24, 2017.

External links

• Political Graveyard
• Fletcher D. Proctor at Find a Grave
• National Governors Association
• The National Cyclopedia of American Biography