James Lawrence Getz

James Lawrence Getz (September 14, 1821 – December 25, 1891) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.

Biography

James L. Getz was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. He pursued an academic course, and was one of the founders of the Reading Gazette in 1840. He purchased the Jefferson Democrat and merged the two papers under the name of the Reading Gazette and Democrat, disposing of his interests in 1868. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1846 but never practiced. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1856 and 1857 and served as speaker of the house during the latter year.

Getz was elected as a Democrat to the Fortieth, Forty-first, and Forty-second Congresses. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1872. He was again engaged in the newspaper business. He served as city comptroller of Reading from 1888 until his death there in 1891. Interment in Charles Evans Cemetery.

Sources

• James Lawrence Getz at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• The Political Graveyard

Speakers of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (since 1791) Bingham Wynkoop Latimer Evans Weaver Snyder Porter Snyder Boileau Engle Weber Tod R. Smith St. Clair Holgate Hill Davidson Hill J. Lawrence Gilmore J. Lawrence Sutherland Ritner Middleswarth F. Smith Laporte Findley Anderson W. Patterson J. Thompson Middleswarth Dewart Hopkins Crabb Snowden H. Wright Snowden F. Patterson Cooper Packer McCalmont Cessna Rhey Schell Chase Strong R. Wright Getz Longaker W. Lawrence Davis Rowe Cessna Johnson Olmstead Kelley Glass Davis Clark Strang Webb Elliott McCormick S. Patterson Myer Long Hewitt Faunce Graham Boyer C. Thompson Walton Boyer Farr Marshall Walton McClain Cox Shreve Alter Ambler Baldwin Spangler Whitaker Goodnough Bluett McClure Hess Goodnough Talbot Sarig Furman Turner Kilroy Fiss Lichtenwalter Sorg C. Smith Andrews Helm Andrews Helm Hamilton Lee Fineman Lee Fineman Irvis Seltzer Ryan Irvis Manderino O'Donnell DeWeese Ryan Perzel O'Brien McCall S. Smith Turzai