Henry F. Schricker
Encyclopedia
Henry Frederick Schricker (30 August 1883 28 December 1966) was the 36th and 38th Governor
of the American
state of Indiana
from 1941 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1953. He is the only Indiana governor elected to two non-consecutive terms, and the only governor between 1852 and 1977 to be elected to more than one term in office. His terms were marked by strong opposition party control of the Indiana General Assembly
, which attempted to remove powers from the governor that had been bestowed during the Great Depression
. Schricker fought the attempt in the state courts, and although his power was significantly reduced, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in the case of Tucker v. Indiana that the governor was the Chief Executive of the state, and the legislature could not pass legislation that interfered with the division of powers.
, on August 30, 1883, to Bavaria
n immigrants Fredrick and Magdelena Gray Schricker. Schricker attended a Lutheran parochial school
in North Judson through elementary school, and then attended a public school and completed grade eight. After graduation, he began working in his family's grocery store as a bookkeeper. His parents sent him to a local college to take a course in bookkeeping as the final step in his education. After working in the grocery store for nine years, Schricker decided to become a lawyer and worked toward that goal by taking a position in the Starke County, Indiana
, clerk's office in Knox, Indiana
.
After a year of studying law on the side, he passed the bar examination and began practing law in Knox with his mentor, Adrian Courtright. He became the cashier of the Hamlet
bank in 1907, and became the owner, publisher, and editor of the Starke County Democrat in 1908. He was actively involved in the community; organizing the first Boy Scout troop in Starke County in 1912, and presiding as the chief of the Knox Fire Department. It was also during this time that Henry met Maude Brown, a teacher in North Dakota
, who had originally come from Knox. In 1914, Henry visited her and convinced her to return to Knox, which resulted in their marriage on October 21, 1914. In 1919, he returned to his previous career, and became the cashier of the First National Bank of Knox.
He was nominated to run again for reelection to the senate in 1936, but turned down the nomination after Governor Paul V. McNutt
arranged for the convention to nominate him to run for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
on a ticket with M. Clifford Townsend
. McNutt was considered to be significantly more conservative than Townsend, and party leaders believed he would help draw more Republican votes. Townsend and Schricker won the election and took office in January 1937.
As President of the Democratic controlled Senate, Schricker helped pass welfare measures supported by Townsend. As Lieutenant Governor he was also head of the state's agricultural department and spend considerable time traveling around the state for meetings with leaders of farming communities. The state Democratic party was in the midst of a dispute during term, with the McNutt and Frank Van Nuys faction opposing President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's plan to stack the United States Supreme Court. Roosevelt intervened in the state party affairs, and with the support of Townsend attempted to remove the state's United States Senators who were blocking his plan. Schricker did not takes sides in the debate which McNutt ultimately won, and instead tried to avoid the capitol. His traveling effectively turned into a four-year campaign for the governship as he gained support around the state.
At the 1940 state Democratic Party Convention, Schricker won the nomiantion for governor on the second ballot, winning the majority of the delegates from the rural parts of the state. Opinion had turned strongly against the Democrats in the last year, primarily over welfare spending. To win the election, Schricker focused on his personal popularity, rather than his connection to the Democratic party. He won the election by less than 4,000 votes and was the only Democrat elected in any statewide election. Republicans swept power and took strong majorities in the General Assembly for the first time in fifteen years. Part of the Republican platform had been to remove the state from the federal welfare system, revoke the massive increase in power granted to the governor by the Executive Reorganization Act, and cut spending and taxes.
was required to override his veto, which the Assembly promptly did.
Republicans soon continued their attempt limit the governor's power, and passed the State Administration Act of 1941. The bill reorganized the state into five administrative departments, with only the smallest that consisted of the governor's aids remaining under the direct authority of the governor. The other four agencies were placed under the control of a three person board of commissioners. The boards would consist of the governor and two Assembly appointed commissioners. The arrangement would effectively granted the Assembly manage the departments. Schricker vetoed the bill when it reached his desk, but again it was overrode. When the Assembly adjourned in April, Schricker filed a suit in the state court, claiming the bill violated the division of powers. The Marion County Circuit court stayed the law until the matter could be reviewed by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Republican Indiana Secretary of State James M. Tucker filed a counter suit claiming the state courts had no authority to stay an act of the legislature, and accusing the court of violating the division of powers. The case of Tucker v. State came before the Supreme Court who ruled on the matter stating that the governor was the chief executive of the state, and that the legislature could not pass legislation that infringed upon that power. They declared the State Administration Act to be unconsititional in a vote of four to one. The court at the time had a four to one Democratic majority on the court, and they voted on party lines.
Schricker refused to call a special session of the General Assembly. The legislature was unable to reconvened until 1943 when the promptly passed a bill to reform the patronage system, and transferred most of the state's agencies to the merit system already employed in some agencies. They also took over the Two Percent Fund that required all state employees to contribute two percent of their income to a fund that supported the Democratic Party. By creating a board to oversee the fund, they guaranteed that it would be split equally between both parties. Schricker vetoed the bill, but the legislature again overrode it.
Indiana governors at that time were not permitted to serve consecutive terms. As his term in office ended, Shricker was nominated to run for the United States Senate
. The race was hard fought, but Schricker was defeated by incumbent Homer E. Capehart
by 1.3% of the vote. It was later revealed the Schricker had been offered the Vice Presidency by Roosevelt for his final term in office, but had declined. Schriker later stated that he was aware of Roosevelt's poor health and did not feel himself capable of becoming President during a war; Roosevelt subsequently died in office and was succeeded by his Vice President, Harry S. Truman
.
. However, he ran for the governorship again in 1948 and won, becoming Indiana's first governor to be elected to two non-consecutive terms, and the second to serve non-consecutive terms. The Indiana Constitution bars an individual from holding the position of governor for more than two terms, so Schricker completed his second term and cofounded the Wabash Fire and Casualty Insurance Company of Indianapolis. During the Kentucky Derby
weekend in 1949, Schricker authorized a crackdown on illegal gambling in Orange County, Indiana
, near the French Lick Springs Hotel
.
Democrats held a small majority in the General Assembly during Schricker's first two years in office, but in the mid-terms Republicans again took power. They had been advocating for the state to open the welfare records to the public, so the amount of money spent, and to whom it was going, could be made known. This was in violation of federal welfare laws, and would result in a loss of federal funding for the state welfare system. Schricker vetoed the bill, but the legislature overrode it. The federal government immediately cut off funding, creating an $18 million budget deficit for the state. Schricker called a special session of the legislature to resolve the financial situation, but no solution could be agreed upon. Instead they issued a bill that delayed enactment of their public welfare records by two years. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator William E. Jenner
successfully introduced legislation at the federal level to prevent the state from losing its funding once the bill did go into effect.
Schricker left office with government having a $115 million surplus fund due to the state's frugal spending, and his own support of the spending plans. The state's highway system, public schools, and prisons had suffered during the years though because of their neglect.
in 1952. This same year, Schricker again ran for the U.S. Senate
and again lost to the Republican incumbent, William E. Jenner, this time by 5.6% of the vote. He retired to Knox in 1960, but remained active in civic affairs and played a role as himself in the 1962 movie Johnny Holiday. He died on December 28, 1966.
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
from 1941 to 1945 and from 1949 to 1953. He is the only Indiana governor elected to two non-consecutive terms, and the only governor between 1852 and 1977 to be elected to more than one term in office. His terms were marked by strong opposition party control of the Indiana General Assembly
Indiana General Assembly
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate...
, which attempted to remove powers from the governor that had been bestowed during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Schricker fought the attempt in the state courts, and although his power was significantly reduced, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled in the case of Tucker v. Indiana that the governor was the Chief Executive of the state, and the legislature could not pass legislation that interfered with the division of powers.
Family and background
Henry Fredrick Schricker was born in North Judson, IndianaNorth Judson, Indiana
North Judson is a town in Wayne Township, Starke County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,675 at the 2000 census. The town owns and is the headquarters of the Chesapeake and Indiana Railroad.-History:...
, on August 30, 1883, to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n immigrants Fredrick and Magdelena Gray Schricker. Schricker attended a Lutheran parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
in North Judson through elementary school, and then attended a public school and completed grade eight. After graduation, he began working in his family's grocery store as a bookkeeper. His parents sent him to a local college to take a course in bookkeeping as the final step in his education. After working in the grocery store for nine years, Schricker decided to become a lawyer and worked toward that goal by taking a position in the Starke County, Indiana
Starke County, Indiana
Starke County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 23,363. The county seat is Knox.-History:Starke County was created in 1835 and organized in 1850. It was named for Gen...
, clerk's office in Knox, Indiana
Knox, Indiana
Knox is a city in Center Township, Starke County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,704 at the 2010 census. Knox is also within the Chicago Metropolitan Area along with the City of Valparaiso. The city is the county seat of Starke County. The city was founded in 1851 and is named after...
.
After a year of studying law on the side, he passed the bar examination and began practing law in Knox with his mentor, Adrian Courtright. He became the cashier of the Hamlet
Hamlet, Indiana
Hamlet is a town in Davis and Oregon Townships, Starke County, Indiana, United States. The population was 800 at the 2010 census. The town is named after John Hamlet, who established the town in 1863.-Geography:...
bank in 1907, and became the owner, publisher, and editor of the Starke County Democrat in 1908. He was actively involved in the community; organizing the first Boy Scout troop in Starke County in 1912, and presiding as the chief of the Knox Fire Department. It was also during this time that Henry met Maude Brown, a teacher in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, who had originally come from Knox. In 1914, Henry visited her and convinced her to return to Knox, which resulted in their marriage on October 21, 1914. In 1919, he returned to his previous career, and became the cashier of the First National Bank of Knox.
Legislator
Schricker's first entry into politics was his run for the Indiana State Senate in 1924 as a Democrat. After losing the race, he retained his cashier position and continued there until 1932, when he again ran for the State Senate and won. During his term in the senate he drafted legislation to creat a new circuit court district for Starke County. Another important bill he created was one creating a tenure system for state teachers, which guaranteed the teachers they would remain employed by the state upon completely a certain number of years in state service. A third bill created a pension fund for firemen in the state. All three of his proposed bills were passed and signed into law.He was nominated to run again for reelection to the senate in 1936, but turned down the nomination after Governor Paul V. McNutt
Paul V. McNutt
Paul Vories McNutt was an American politician who served as the 34th Governor of Indiana during the Great Depression, high commissioner to the Philippines, administrator of the Federal Security Agency, chairman of the War Manpower Commission and ambassador to the Philippines.-Family and...
arranged for the convention to nominate him to run for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
Lieutenant Governor of Indiana
The Lieutenant Governor of Indiana is a constitutional office in the US State of Indiana. Republican Becky Skillman, whose term expires in January 2013, is the incumbent...
on a ticket with M. Clifford Townsend
M. Clifford Townsend
Maurice Clifford Townsend was the 35th Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana from 1937 to 1941. During his term he led relief efforts during and after the Great Flood of 1937.-Early life:...
. McNutt was considered to be significantly more conservative than Townsend, and party leaders believed he would help draw more Republican votes. Townsend and Schricker won the election and took office in January 1937.
As President of the Democratic controlled Senate, Schricker helped pass welfare measures supported by Townsend. As Lieutenant Governor he was also head of the state's agricultural department and spend considerable time traveling around the state for meetings with leaders of farming communities. The state Democratic party was in the midst of a dispute during term, with the McNutt and Frank Van Nuys faction opposing President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's plan to stack the United States Supreme Court. Roosevelt intervened in the state party affairs, and with the support of Townsend attempted to remove the state's United States Senators who were blocking his plan. Schricker did not takes sides in the debate which McNutt ultimately won, and instead tried to avoid the capitol. His traveling effectively turned into a four-year campaign for the governship as he gained support around the state.
At the 1940 state Democratic Party Convention, Schricker won the nomiantion for governor on the second ballot, winning the majority of the delegates from the rural parts of the state. Opinion had turned strongly against the Democrats in the last year, primarily over welfare spending. To win the election, Schricker focused on his personal popularity, rather than his connection to the Democratic party. He won the election by less than 4,000 votes and was the only Democrat elected in any statewide election. Republicans swept power and took strong majorities in the General Assembly for the first time in fifteen years. Part of the Republican platform had been to remove the state from the federal welfare system, revoke the massive increase in power granted to the governor by the Executive Reorganization Act, and cut spending and taxes.
First term
As Schricker took office in January 1941, the battle with the General Assembly was inevitable. Once convened they immediately repealed the Executive Reoganization Act that stripped the governor of his direct authority over numerous government agencies and his authority to appoint officials, which reverted to the Assembly. Schricker openly supported the repeal of the act, stating he had no desire for "dictatorial powers." However, when the bill arrived to be signed into law, he vetoed it claiming that as it was written it would reduce his status to that of an "errand boy." Only a simple majorityMajority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
was required to override his veto, which the Assembly promptly did.
Republicans soon continued their attempt limit the governor's power, and passed the State Administration Act of 1941. The bill reorganized the state into five administrative departments, with only the smallest that consisted of the governor's aids remaining under the direct authority of the governor. The other four agencies were placed under the control of a three person board of commissioners. The boards would consist of the governor and two Assembly appointed commissioners. The arrangement would effectively granted the Assembly manage the departments. Schricker vetoed the bill when it reached his desk, but again it was overrode. When the Assembly adjourned in April, Schricker filed a suit in the state court, claiming the bill violated the division of powers. The Marion County Circuit court stayed the law until the matter could be reviewed by the Indiana Supreme Court.
Republican Indiana Secretary of State James M. Tucker filed a counter suit claiming the state courts had no authority to stay an act of the legislature, and accusing the court of violating the division of powers. The case of Tucker v. State came before the Supreme Court who ruled on the matter stating that the governor was the chief executive of the state, and that the legislature could not pass legislation that infringed upon that power. They declared the State Administration Act to be unconsititional in a vote of four to one. The court at the time had a four to one Democratic majority on the court, and they voted on party lines.
Schricker refused to call a special session of the General Assembly. The legislature was unable to reconvened until 1943 when the promptly passed a bill to reform the patronage system, and transferred most of the state's agencies to the merit system already employed in some agencies. They also took over the Two Percent Fund that required all state employees to contribute two percent of their income to a fund that supported the Democratic Party. By creating a board to oversee the fund, they guaranteed that it would be split equally between both parties. Schricker vetoed the bill, but the legislature again overrode it.
Indiana governors at that time were not permitted to serve consecutive terms. As his term in office ended, Shricker was nominated to run for the United States Senate
United States Senate election, 1944
The United States Senate elections of 1944 coincided with the re-election of Franklin Roosevelt to his fourth term as President. The Democratic party suffered a net loss of one seat to the Republicans, but still kept a large majority in the Senate....
. The race was hard fought, but Schricker was defeated by incumbent Homer E. Capehart
Homer E. Capehart
Homer Earl Capehart , American business innovator and politician, was born in Algiers, Indiana, in Pike County. During the First World War, he served as a Sergeant in the United States Army Supply Corps, but was never sent overseas.-Business career:Capehart attained fame as the father of the...
by 1.3% of the vote. It was later revealed the Schricker had been offered the Vice Presidency by Roosevelt for his final term in office, but had declined. Schriker later stated that he was aware of Roosevelt's poor health and did not feel himself capable of becoming President during a war; Roosevelt subsequently died in office and was succeeded by his Vice President, Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
.
Second term
Schricker returned to private life by joining the American Fletcher National Bank and Trust Company of IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. However, he ran for the governorship again in 1948 and won, becoming Indiana's first governor to be elected to two non-consecutive terms, and the second to serve non-consecutive terms. The Indiana Constitution bars an individual from holding the position of governor for more than two terms, so Schricker completed his second term and cofounded the Wabash Fire and Casualty Insurance Company of Indianapolis. During the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
weekend in 1949, Schricker authorized a crackdown on illegal gambling in Orange County, Indiana
Orange County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,306 people, 7,621 households, and 5,342 families residing in the county. The population density was 48 people per square mile . There were 8,348 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, near the French Lick Springs Hotel
French Lick Resort Casino
French Lick Resort is a resort complex located in the towns of West Baden and French Lick, Indiana. The complex includes two historic resort spa hotels, stables, a casino and three golf courses, all part of a $500 million restoration and development project....
.
Democrats held a small majority in the General Assembly during Schricker's first two years in office, but in the mid-terms Republicans again took power. They had been advocating for the state to open the welfare records to the public, so the amount of money spent, and to whom it was going, could be made known. This was in violation of federal welfare laws, and would result in a loss of federal funding for the state welfare system. Schricker vetoed the bill, but the legislature overrode it. The federal government immediately cut off funding, creating an $18 million budget deficit for the state. Schricker called a special session of the legislature to resolve the financial situation, but no solution could be agreed upon. Instead they issued a bill that delayed enactment of their public welfare records by two years. Meanwhile, U.S. Senator William E. Jenner
William E. Jenner
William Ezra Jenner was a U.S. Republican Indiana State and U.S. Senator.Jenner was born in Marengo, Crawford County, Indiana. He graduated with a Law degree from Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington in 1930, and set up practice in Paoli, Indiana...
successfully introduced legislation at the federal level to prevent the state from losing its funding once the bill did go into effect.
Schricker left office with government having a $115 million surplus fund due to the state's frugal spending, and his own support of the spending plans. The state's highway system, public schools, and prisons had suffered during the years though because of their neglect.
Later years
Schricker was a popular Hoosier politician known for his small-town boy charm and his signature white hat. He was in demand as a speaker, and his advice and sanction were sought by Democratic candidates. He received national recognition when he was chosen to deliver the joint nomination speech for Adlai Stevenson at the Democratic National ConventionDemocratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
in 1952. This same year, Schricker again ran for the U.S. Senate
United States Senate election, 1952
The U.S. Senate election, 1952 was an election for the United States Senate whichcoincided with the election of Dwight D. Eisenhower to the presidency by a large margin. The Republicans managed to make a net gain of two seats, which was reduced to one when Wayne L...
and again lost to the Republican incumbent, William E. Jenner, this time by 5.6% of the vote. He retired to Knox in 1960, but remained active in civic affairs and played a role as himself in the 1962 movie Johnny Holiday. He died on December 28, 1966.