Clarence H. Beecher

Clarence H. Beecher (October 9, 1877 – November 21, 1959) was an American politician who served as the 25th Mayor of Burlington, Vermont. His eight-vote victory against James E. Burke in 1927 is the smallest margin of victory in any Burlington mayoral race.

Clarence H. Beecher
From the 1932 edition of The Ariel, the University of Vermont yearbook
25th Mayor of Burlington, Vermont
In office
April 6, 1925 – April 1, 1929
Preceded byJohn Holmes Jackson
Succeeded byJohn Holmes Jackson
Member of the Burlington, Vermont Board of Aldermen
In office
April 7, 1919[1] – April 7, 1924[2]
Preceded byE. A. Luck
Succeeded byRalph H. Robinson
ConstituencyWard 2
In office
1934–1935
Preceded byE. Lloyd Gillette
Succeeded byFrank J. Hendee
ConstituencyWard 2
Personal details
Born(1877-10-09)October 9, 1877
Granville, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 1959(1959-11-21) (aged 82)
Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
Resting placeLakeview Cemetery, Burlington, Vermont
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Florence Jeanette Russell (m. 1904, div. 1931)
Reba Mildred Jones (m. 1931-1959, his death)
Children2
MotherMary E. Waring
FatherDavid O. Beecher
EducationUniversity of Vermont
ProfessionMedical doctor

Early life

On October 9, 1877, Beecher was born to David O. Beecher and Mary E. Waring on a farm in Granville, New York.[3] In 1900, he graduated from the University of Vermont medical college with highest honors and continued his education in Vienna, Austria in 1910 with internal medicine.[4] During his time of medical practice he became the first doctor to use insulin in Vermont.

Career

In 1919, he was given the Republican nomination for Ward Two's alderman election and defeated Robert Cannon with 601 votes to 257 votes.[5][6] On February 20, 1922, he was renominated by the Republican city committee for alderman and faced no opposition in the election due to the Democratic city committee not selecting a candidate.[7] On February 16, 1924, he declined to seek reelection and the Republican nomination for Ward Two's alderman was given to Ralph H. Robinson.[8]

Mayoral

On February 2, 1925, he announced that he would seek the Republican nomination for mayor and was given the nomination by unanimity on February 11.[9][10] Beecher defeated former Mayor James E. Burke of the Citizens Party and President of the Board of Alderman George L. Edwards of the Nonpartisan League and Democratic Party with 2,429 votes to 1,845 votes and 994 votes.[11] During his tenure the Burlington City Hall, Memorial Auditorium, Central Fire Station, and the Winooski Bridge were all constructed and he managed recovery in Burlington following the Great Vermont Flood of 1927. In 1927, he narrowly defeated James E. Burke again by only 89 votes with 3,191 votes to 3,108 votes.[12] Due to the closeness of the election Burke filed a lawsuit attempting to remove Beecher from office, but the Vermont Supreme Court ruled in Beecher's favor on January 2, 1929, although it decreased his vote total to 3,016.[13][14][15] He chose not to run for reelection in 1929 and was succeeded by former Mayor John Holmes Jackson.

Later life

In 1932, he served as a delegate to the Vermont Republican Party's state convention.[16] On March 12, 1934, Beecher was given the Republican nomination for Ward Five alderman with 19 votes against Meader Martin's 3 votes and on March 27, 1934, he narrowly defeated Democratic Oscar H. Heininger by 28 votes for Ward Five's alderman seat with 553 votes to 525 votes in a special election to fill the seat following E. Lloyd Gillett's resignation.[17][18][19] He did not seek reelection in 1935, and was succeeded by Frank J. Hendee after he defeated Meader Martin in the general election.[20][21]

On January 13, 1953, the Republican city committee gave him the mayoral nomination, but was defeated in a landslide by incumbent Democratic Mayor J. Edward Moran with 5,091 votes to 3,403 votes and he performed worse than Republican aldermen in every ward except in ward one.[22][23] During the mayoral race he criticized Moran for his handling of Burlington's new electric generator plant and blamed him for its poor management.[24]

From 1941 to 1945, he served as dean of the University of Vermont's medical college and in 1958, the University of Vermont gave him an honorary degree for a doctorate in science. On November 11, 1959, Beecher suffered a heart attack and was taken to Mary Fletcher Hospital (now the University of Vermont Medical Center), where he died on November 21.[25] He was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington.[26]

Family

In 1904, Beecher married Florence Jeanette Russell (1882-1957), with whom he was the father of two children, John (1906-1981) and Jeanette (1909-1997). They divorced in May 1931 and on June 8, 1931, he married Reba Mildred Jones (1909-1996).[27]

References
  1. "Economy Necessary In Conducts Of City Affairs This Year". Burlington Daily News. 8 April 1919. p. 6. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "City News Aldermen Take Office". Burlington Daily News. 5 April 1924. p. 16. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Dr. Clarence H. Beecher". The Post-Star. 25 November 1959. p. 20. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Dr. Beecher Made Advisory Chairman Of Security Fund". The Post-Star. 20 February 1942. p. 13. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Aldermanic Candidates". The Burlington Free Press. 25 February 1919. p. 3. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Mayor Jackson Re-Elected By 219 Majority". Burlington Daily News. 5 May 1919. p. 5. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Two Nominees in Ward One". Burlington Daily News. 22 February 1922. p. 3. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "City News". Burlington Daily News. 18 February 1924. p. 12. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Clarence Beecher Announces Candidacy". The Burlington Free Press. 3 February 1925. p. 8. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Republicans Name Dr. C. H. Beecher". The Burlington Free Press. 11 February 1925. p. 8. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Dr. Clarence H. Beecher Mayor-Elect of Burlington". The Burlington Free Press. 4 March 1925. p. 8. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Beecher Wins Mayoralty Fight". The Brattleboro Reformer. 2 March 1927. p. 5. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Supreme Court Hears Beecher Case". The Brattleboro Reformer. 8 February 1928. p. 1. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Beecher Applies Burke's Vote Test". The Brattleboro Reformer. 3 April 1928. p. 1. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Beecher Applies Burke's Vote Test". Rutland Daily Herald. 3 January 1929. p. 2. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Call For Referendum". The Brattleboro Reformer. 2 May 1932. p. 8. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Gillette May Resign". The Burlington Free Press. 1 February 1934. p. 8. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Republicans Foil Democratic Move". The Burlington Free Press. 13 March 1934. p. 10. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. "Former Mayor Elected Alderman In Ward Five". The Burlington Free Press. 28 March 1934. p. 8. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. "Dr. Beecher Not Candidate". The Burlington Free Press. 16 February 1935. p. 16. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. "Republicans Win For Aldermen". The Burlington Free Press. 6 March 1935. p. 10. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Dr. Beecher, Nominated by GOP, Blames Moran for Power 'Mess'". The Burlington Free Press. 14 January 1953. p. 11. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. "Moran Is Re-Elected by Margin of 1,688 Votes". The Burlington Free Press. 4 March 1953. p. 9. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. "It's Moran Vs. Beecher For Mayor". The Burlington Free Press. 17 January 1953. p. 3. Archived from the original on 7 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. "Dr. Beecher, Former Mayor, Vt. Dean, Dies". The Burlington Free Press. 23 November 1959. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. "Obituary, Dr. Clarence H. Beecher". Bennington Banner. Bennington, VT. November 27, 1959. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Dr. C. H. Beecher And Son, John E." The Burlington Free Press. 9 June 1931. p. 8. Archived from the original on 6 December 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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