Representative Fred Benjamin Gernerd

Fred Benjamin Gernerd (November 22, 1879 – August 7, 1948) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who served one term as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1921 to 1923. Over the course of his career, he was active in local and state politics, the legal profession, and higher education governance, and he represented his Pennsylvania constituents in Congress during a significant period in American history following World War I.

Gernerd was born on November 22, 1879, in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in the region before pursuing higher education at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1901. Seeking advanced training in government and law, he enrolled at Columbia University in New York City, completing studies at the university’s School of Political Science in 1903. He then continued at Columbia Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1904, preparing for a professional career at the bar.

In 1904, Gernerd was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Buffalo, New York. After gaining initial experience there, he returned to his native Allentown in 1905 to continue his legal practice. His abilities as a lawyer and his growing involvement in public affairs led to his election as district attorney of Lehigh County, a position he held from 1908 to 1912. During these years he developed a reputation in local legal and political circles and became increasingly active in the Republican Party.

Gernerd’s political influence expanded at the state level when he served as a Pennsylvania Republican State Committeeman from 1912 to 1920. In addition to his party responsibilities, he maintained close ties to higher education, serving as a trustee of his alma mater, Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, and of Cedar Crest College in Allentown. These roles reflected his continuing engagement with educational and civic institutions in Pennsylvania while he sustained his law practice.

In 1920, Gernerd was elected as a Republican to the Sixty-seventh Congress, representing Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1921 to 1923. His service in Congress took place during a significant period in American history marked by postwar adjustment, economic change, and evolving domestic and foreign policies. As a member of the House of Representatives, Fred Benjamin Gernerd participated in the legislative process, contributed to debates and decision-making, and represented the interests of his constituents in Pennsylvania. He served one term in office and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1922.

After leaving Congress in March 1923, Gernerd resumed the practice of law in Allentown. He remained active in Republican politics and public affairs, and in 1928 he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, reflecting his continued standing within the party at both the state and national levels. Alongside his legal work, he continued his involvement in civic and educational matters in his community.

Fred Benjamin Gernerd died in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 7, 1948, at the age of 68. He was interred in Trexlertown Cemetery in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. His career encompassed service as a local prosecutor, state party leader, college trustee, and one-term member of the United States Congress, during which he took part in the democratic process and the legislative work of the early 1920s.