Representative Harris Jacob Bixler

Harris Jacob Bixler (September 16, 1870 – March 29, 1941) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, serving three consecutive terms from 1921 to 1927. Over the course of his service in Congress, he represented his Pennsylvania constituents during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives and participating actively in the democratic governance of the nation.

Bixler was born in New Buffalo, Perry County, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1870. He was educated in the public schools and attended Lock Haven State Normal School, an institution devoted to the training of teachers. Demonstrating an early commitment to education, he began teaching in the rural districts of Perry and Clinton Counties, where he taught school from 1878 to 1892. Seeking additional training in business, he later attended Potts Business College in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, which prepared him for a career that combined commercial activity with public service.

In 1892, Bixler moved to Johnsonburg, Elk County, Pennsylvania, where he initially worked as a shipping clerk. He soon expanded his professional pursuits, becoming engaged in banking and manufacturing. His prominence in local business affairs grew, and he served as a director of the Johnsonburg National Bank. These roles in commerce and finance established him as a leading figure in the economic life of Johnsonburg and provided a foundation for his entry into local politics and public administration.

Bixler’s public career began at the municipal level in Johnsonburg. He served as president of the city council from 1900 to 1904, helping to oversee local governance during a period of industrial growth in the region. From 1904 to 1910, he was president of the board of education, reflecting his continuing interest in public schooling and community development. He further advanced in local government as mayor of Johnsonburg from 1908 to 1912, where he was responsible for the administration of city affairs. Expanding his public service to the county level, Bixler served as sheriff of Elk County from 1916 to 1920, and as treasurer of Elk County from 1920 to 1922. At the same time, he was deeply involved in party politics, serving as chairman of the Republican county committee from 1916 to 1925, a position that gave him considerable influence in regional Republican affairs.

Building on this extensive local and county experience, Bixler was elected as a Republican to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1920. He served in the Sixty-seventh, Sixty-eighth, and Sixty-ninth Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1921, to March 3, 1927. During his three terms in Congress, he represented Pennsylvania as a member of the Republican Party at a time marked by post–World War I adjustment, economic expansion, and significant national debates over domestic and foreign policy. As a Representative, Harris Jacob Bixler participated in the legislative process, worked on behalf of his constituents, and contributed to the formulation of federal policy in the early 1920s. In 1926, he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination, which brought his congressional career to a close at the end of his third term.

After leaving Congress, Bixler returned to private life in Pennsylvania. He engaged in business as a freight contractor and maintained an interest in agricultural pursuits, continuing his long-standing involvement in the economic life of his region. He remained a resident of Johnsonburg, where he had built his career in both business and public service. Harris Jacob Bixler died in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania, on March 29, 1941. He was interred in Duncannon Cemetery in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, closing a life that combined education, business, local and county leadership, and three terms of service in the United States Congress.