James Edward Norton ^{2 3}

   FamilySearch ID: M3V7-69L.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Obituary: Reading Times: Senator Norton Dies in Boston Theatre on 10 Dec 1935 in Reading, Berks, PA. ² Senator Norton Dies in Boston Theatre; Usher Discovers Body Slumped in Seat
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Legislator Had Gone to New England City on Lodge Business
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Life Pronounced Extinct at Hospital; Expected Home Thursday; Wife Planned to Return With Him to New England Next Week
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Wife Near Collapse as Police Notify Her Of Tragedy
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State Senator James E. Norton, serving his fourth term as Berks county's representative in the upper house at Harrisburg, collapsed in the Tremont theatre, Boston, a few minutes before 9 o'clock last night and was pronounced dead three minutes later when admitted to the Haymarket Relief hospital nearby. Senator Norton was 63.

Senator Norton's body was found by an usher, and identification was made by Edward L. Mansfield, clerk at the Hotel Brunswick where Norton, national treasurer of the Royal Arcanum, registered yesterday morning.

Norton had conferred yesterday with I. M. Klock, chief clerk of the Royal Arcanum. Police believed Norton died from natural causes.

First word of the senator's death reached Reading at 11::30 last night, when police received a telegram from Boston authorities asking them to question the family on Senator Norton's whereabouts.

Twenty minutes later, a second message declared that the body had been positively identified as that of Senator Norton through cards in the pockets of his coat. A label in his hat which bore the name of a Reading store confirmed for police the fact that he was a Reading man.

Mrs. Norton had retired for the night when City Patrolmen Doll and Heinly arrived at the Douglass street home with the two telegrams.

Dazed, she admitted the two to the living room while she read the messages.

"I -- I just don't quite understand this," she said slowly. "What does it mean?"

"Yes. Mr. Norton is in Boston," she told Doll. "He goes there every week. You see he's supreme treasurer of the Royal Arcanum, with the national offices in Boston."

Weakly she reached for the chair as she realized the significance of the message.

Wife Near Collapse

"He was in perfect health when he left," she said, apparently near collapse.

Senator Norton left Sunday night, Mrs. Norton explained after a few minutes of silence. "He was coming back Thursday, and I was going back with him early next week. We were going to return for the holidays."

On his weekly trips, sometimes with Mrs. Norton accompanying him, Senator Norton invariably registered at the Hotel Brunswick, she said.

A telephone call to his daughter, Miss Ruth Virginia Norton, brought the school teacher to her side.

Registered ln Morning

Senator Norton registered at the Hotel Brunswick at 7 o'clock yesterday morning, according to the room clerk. He apparently was in perfect health.

Senator Norton had an unusual political career as a Republican in Berks county, for many years Samuel Tilden's much vaunted "Gibraltar of Democracy."

Named coroner of Berks county oil May 31, 1916, to succeed Dr. L. O. Hain, who died, Senator Norton served two years and then was elected an assemblyman to represent the city in the tower house. In 1920 he was swept into the state senate on the crest of the Harding landslide, defeating the veteran Wilson O. Sarig, now speaker of the house.

Became Senior Member

Riding the crest of the Coolidge and Hoover landslides, Senator Norton became the senior member of the upper house when he surprised political leaders by winning re-election during the Roosevelt win which carried Berks back into the Democratic column in the 1932 election, with President Hoover carrying the city despite the election of two Socialist members of the assembly in the city.

Death of Senator Notion will require a special election to choose his successor in case Governor Earle calls a special session of the legislature in January.

Under the Pennsylvania election laws, should a member of the legislature die during a recess and the members may be required, either by their own adjournment, by the governor or otherwise, to meet at some time previous to the next election, the president of the senate shall issue the writ and appoint a time for holding said election to fill said vacancy.

It was doubted whether a writ for a special election would be issued until Governor Earle issues an official call convening the legislature. There was no precedent in Berks for the present situation, political leaders said, and none was quite certain whether the president of the senate could act before the governor's call.

The election laws specify that the time for the election shall be made as early as convenient, not exceeding 30 days after the issuance of the writ. The fixing of the time of the election is delegated to the speaker.

James Edward Norton was born in Reading, February 23, 1872. His political rise was duplicated by his progress in fraternal circles. He was a member of many societies, but was active chiefly in the Royal Arcanum, a society in which he advanced to the position of head in the supreme council in the United States and Canada. He was serving as national treasurer when he died.

As a member of the Presbyterian church, Mr. Norton rose to prominence in the denomination outside his own presbytery and was frequently a speaker before religious gatherings of his own and other denominations throughout the country, on his journeys to state and national conventions of the Royal Arcanum. His duties as supreme vice regent of the order, and later as supreme regent, the highest office in the fraternity, took him to every large city in this country and in Canada in recent years.

Following completion of his term as supreme regent Senator Norton was made supreme treasurer of the order, a position which, it was stated by members of the order last night, would cover an indeterminate term of years.

Starting life as a printer Senator Norton was active in Typographical union circles for a number of years before he was first appointed to office. He was named coroner by Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh on the sudden death of Dr. L. G. Hain, in June, 1916, and served the two remaining years of Dr. Hain's term.

Norton's friends urged him in the second year of his service as coroner to get into the legislative fight. A dry in personal convictions and in his political platform, Norton was regarded as certain of defeat in his initial appeal to the voters, but surprised his most earnest followers by the big vote he received.

Spending a busy half year in Harrisburg, the new legislator was suggested as a candidate for state senator, at the end of his term in the lower house. He accepted the suggestion and entered the fray in 1920. It was the year of the Harding landslide and Norton defeated Assemblyman Sarig, who had defeated State Senator George W. Sassaman, now dead, in the latter's fight for renominatlon to the senate. The Sassaman organization declined to support Sarig with any degree of enthusiasm and Norton was promoted from the lower to the upper house in Harrisburg.

Re-elected In 1924

Four years later, in the Coolidge campaign for the presidency, Norton was re-elected in 1924, with Edward J. Morris as his Democratic opponent. Norton's luck held good again in the Hoover - Smith campaign in 1928, when Oliver Lentz, former assistant city solicitor, was the Democratic nominee. Hoover swept Berks and Norton went to Harrisburg for a third term.

In 1932, although Franklin D. Roosevelt swept Berks, Norton survived the Democratic tide and was re-elected to the senate for the fourth time.

Humorously referring to his own record, Norton once said: "I'm the first Republican senator from Berks and the Democrats say I'll be the last." Had he lived he would probably have been his party's nominee for a fifth term in 1936. Throughout his legislative career, Senator Norton always voted with the drys.

Known as an expert on insurance matters, Senator Norton was chairman of the upper house's insurance committee. Because of Governor Earle's criticism of Republicans as well as other administration leaders' comments on the Republican-controlled senate's stand on relief and budget matters, Norton frequently returned from Harrisburg to find his home and office picketed by unemployed and labor delegations. Norton was the only Republican representative from Berks county in the 1935 session of the legislature.

Educated Here

Senator Norton was graduated from the old Boys' High school with honors in 1887. After working for many years at the printing trade, holding the secretary ship of Reading Typographical union for a long period, and operating his own printing office, he engaged in the insurance business and developed the field on a considerable scale. : His church, political, fraternal and business ties grew.

Norton's father, James H. Norton, was a Reading Railway Express company official here. His mother was Adelaide Albright, daughter of Aaron Albright, once county surveyor of Berks. Norton's ancestors served in the Revolutionary War and in the War of 1812.

The future senator married Fannie M. Coleman, and three children were born to the couple. Mrs. Norton died in January, 1925. Their elder son, James Coleman Norton, became a marine lieutenant in 1918, later went to the Orient, and now is in business in Erie. Paul Robinson Norton, second son, a professor in Princeton university, of which he was a graduate. He was also a Rhodes scholar from the United States to Oxford university, England, where he was graduated with honors.

Daughter Is Teacher

The senator's third child, Miss Ruth Virginia Norton, is a teacher in the Reading public schools. Some years ago Senator Norton remarried, taking as a second wife Mrs. Mattie Raudenbush, who survives.

Senator Norton, in addition to membership in Wyomissing Council, Royal Arcanum, of which he was past regent, was a member also of Lodge 62, F. and A. M., of the Scottish Rites, 32nd degree, and Charity Chamber, No. 23, Knights of Friendship, and Friendship Commandery, No. 247, Knights of Malta.

Senator Norton was a charter member of Olivet Presbyterian church and was teacher of the Men's Bible class there for many years. When in Reading it was his boast, he never missed a session of the school or a church service.

During the World War period, he was a member of the district draft board.

Senator Norton was long associated with the late William McCormick in the operation of the Olivet Boys' clubs sponsored in Reading and suburbs by the former publisher of the old Reading Herald. Senator Norton was club treasurer for many years and served on the various boards as a director.

Clayton I. Miller. Reading undertaker, will be in charge of arrangements to bring the body to Reading, Mrs. Norton said.

James married Martha "Mattie" Belle Thompson, daughter of Isaac F. Thompson and Lydia A. Steen, in 1933 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.¹ (Martha "Mattie" Belle Thompson was born on 19 Sep 1873 in Coatesville, Chester, PA,^{4 5} died on 2 Jan 1960 in Reading, Berks, PA ^{4 5} and was buried on 5 Jan 1960 in Tuckerton: Laureldale Cemetery, Berks, PA ^{4 5}.)