James Fairman Fielder

James Fairman Fielder (February 26, 1867 – December 2, 1954) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician and jurist who served as the 35th Governor of New Jersey from 1914 to 1917. He had previously served as acting governor in 1913 but stepped down from office to avoid constitutional limits on serving successive terms.

During his time as governor of New Jersey, a wide range of progressive reforms was carried out.

James Fairman Fielder was born in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 26, 1867 to George Bragg Fielder, who later served as a United States Representative, and Eleanor A. Brinkerhoff Fielder, a descendant of the early settlers of Jersey City. His uncle, William Brinkerhoff, was the State Senator for Hudson County from 1884 to 1886.

Fielder attended Jersey City public schools and boarding school in Norwalk, Connecticut. In 1886, he received an LL.B. from Columbia Law School and was admitted to the Hudson County bar the following year. He practiced in the law offices of his uncle, who had just left office as State Senator, and was eventually made partner.

Fielder entered politics by serving on the Hudson County Democratic Committee. In 1903 and 1904, he was elected to one-year terms in the State General Assembly.

In 1906, he was elected to the New Jersey Senate to represent all of Hudson County.

As Senator, Fielder served on the committees on Banks and Insurance, the Judiciary, Riparian Rights, Passed Bills, the School for the Deaf Mutes, and the Soldiers' Home. He was a loyal ally of Governor Woodrow Wilson; in his final message to the legislature as Governor, Wilson praised Fielder as "a man of proved character, capacity, fidelity and devotion to the public service, a man of the type to which the people of this State desire their public men to conform."

In 1912, Governor Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States. Thus, he was expected to resign as Governor in March 1913, with under a year left on his term. The State Senate President would serve as acting Governor ex officio, thus making the election of the next Senate President a de facto election for Governor. Fielder was elected President at the opening of the session in January 1913 and succeeded to the powers of the Governor when Wilson resigned in March.