John O. Sheatz | |
|---|---|
%2c_American_politician_and_Pennsylvania_State_Treasurer.jpg) Sheatz in 1907 | |
| 52ndTreasurer of Pennsylvania | |
| In office 1908–1911 | |
| Governor | Edwin S. Stuart |
| Preceded by | William H. Berry |
| Succeeded by | Charles Frederick Wright |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Oscar Sheatz (1856-02-27)February 27, 1856 |
| Died | June 25, 1922(1922-06-25) (aged 66) |
| Resting place | West Laurel Hill Cemetery,Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Muhlenberg College |
| Occupation | Politician, railroad executive |
John Oscar Sheatz (February 27, 1856 – June 25, 1922) was an American politician and railroad executive who served in thePennsylvania House of Representatives (1903–1908) andPennsylvania State Senate (1913–1914) and one term as electedPennsylvania State Treasurer (1908–1911). Sheatz was a member of theRepublican Party fromPhiladelphia County.[1]
Sheatz was born on February 27, 1856, inLehigh County, Pennsylvania, to parents John and Amelia Troxell Von Steuben Sheatz. He attended public schools and spent one term atMuhlenberg College before completing a five-year apprenticeship atBaldwin Locomotive Works, a factory owned by theLehigh Valley Railroad Company. He worked at the company for thirteen years and rose into management while launching his own lines of business in coal and real estate. He also worked as treasurer of the Frank Queen Publishing Company in New York and served in the 1st Regiment,Pennsylvania National Guard.[1]
Sheatz entered politics when he served as a Republican state convention delegate in the 1890s. In 1902 he won election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving from 1903 to 1908 and representing the 24th ward ofWest Philadelphia. He chaired the House Appropriations Committee and developed a rapport with GovernorEdwin S. Stuart. He won the November 1907 election to become Pennsylvania State Treasurer, handily defeatingDemocratic nominee John G. Harman ofColumbia County and serving a single term from 1908 to 1911.[2][3]
Two years later, he ran for state senate in a special election to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Senator Ernest L. Tustin of Philadelphia County. Sheatz won the election handily and served as a state senator from 1913 to 1914, including on Senate committees for Appropriations, Congressional Apportionment, Insurance, and Pensions and Gratuities (which he chaired).[1] His name was floated for governor but never nominated.[3]
Sheatz married Elizabeth Harvey (Queen) Sheatz in 1885. They had two children: Marion John Sheatz and Elizabeth Sheatz.[1]
He died of a stroke on June 25, 1922, at the Hotel Raleigh inAtlantic City, New Jersey,[3] and was interred atWest Laurel Hill Cemetery inBala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.[1]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by J. Lee Plummer | Republican nominee forTreasurer of Pennsylvania 1907 | Succeeded by Jeremiah A. Stober |