Edwin Sydney Stuart (December 28, 1853 – March 21, 1937) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Philadelphia from 1891 to 1895 and as the 24th governor of Pennsylvania from 1907 to 1911.

Early life and Philadelphia politics

Stuart was born in Philadelphia in 1853. At age 13, he ended his formal schooling and took a job as a bookkeeper for the book wholesaler W.A. Leary. He rose to attain a controlling interest in the company. By 1882, Stuart had become president of the state Republican Party. In 1886, he won a seat on Philadelphia City Council.

In 1891, Stuart successfully ran for Mayor of Philadelphia. He quickly gained a reputation as a no-nonsense official who would take a hardline approach against corruption. He uncovered impropriety within the city treasurer's office, resulting in the arrest of City Treasurer John Bardsley, and a complete overhaul in budgetary control procedures. He also fired the public safety director for accepting bribes and won a hard-fought battle with the private streetcar lines that forced these entities to help defray the cost of street paving. Upon completion of his mayoral term in 1896, he won an election to return to city council.

Governor of Pennsylvania

Stuart was known as The Governor Who Cares following his investigation of scandals involving the building of the Pennsylvania capitol. The investigation resulted in the prosecution and conviction of four individuals. At that time, the Governor became known as a sharp-eyed overseer of the public good, and had a habit of involving himself in the operations of many state agencies. His reforms included concentrating power in the executive office and abolishing a number of redundant state boards and commissions, replacing them with a single official who was held responsible for results.

Legacy

In 1893 Philadelphia launched a fireboat named after Stuart.

  • Brief biography at PA-Roots