John Fletcher (January 5, 1876 – February 26, 1968) was the Attorney General of Iowa from 1927 to 1933.
Early life
Fletcher was born in Scott County, Iowa. He attended the Iowa State Teachers College, later called the University of Northern Iowa, then attended University of Iowa Law School. He was admitted to the bar on May 8, 1899.
Politics
Assistant Attorney General
Fletcher was hired on January 29, 1910 by Attorney General H. W. Byers as an Assistant Attorney General. He worked under Byers, Attorney General George Cosson and Attorney General Benjamin J. Gibson. He left the Attorney General's office in May, 1925 when he was appointed, by Governor John Hammill to be a District Court judge in Polk County. He remained a judge until his election to Attorney General. He assumed the office in January 1927.
Attorney General
In 1929, he ruled that a $100 million bond issued for primary roads was invalid. This stirred controversy, but his ruling was upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court.
Personal life
He married Marie D. Schmidt on June 14, 1905. They had three children, Maurice, Warren and Margaret. Marie died at age 44 on May 3, 1924 after a long illness, in Des Moines.
John survived his wife by 44 years, dying of arteriosclerosis at age 92, on February 26, 1968 in Altoona.
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