Representative John Leisenring

John Leisenring (June 3, 1853 – January 19, 1901) was an American politician and businessman from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district from 1895 to 1897. During his single term in Congress, he represented his constituents as a member of the House of Representatives in a period of significant political and economic change in the United States.

Leisenring was born on June 3, 1853, in Ashton, Pennsylvania, a community in Carbon County that is now known as Lansford. He was educated in local public schools and then attended Schwartz’s Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He continued his studies at an academy in Merchantville and Princeton, New Jersey, receiving a level of education that prepared him for technical and commercial pursuits. This combination of public schooling and academy training provided the foundation for his later work in engineering and industry.

After completing his education, Leisenring became a civil and mining engineer, entering fields that were central to the economic development of northeastern Pennsylvania in the late nineteenth century. He became closely identified with the region’s banking, coal, iron, and lumber industries, sectors that were rapidly expanding and required both technical expertise and financial acumen. By the mid-1880s he had established himself in these enterprises and, in 1885, he moved from Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, to Upper Lehigh, Pennsylvania, further aligning his professional activities with the coal-producing areas of the state.

Leisenring’s success in business and his prominence in the local industrial economy led naturally to involvement in public affairs and Republican Party politics. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving in the state legislature in 1894 and 1895. In that capacity he participated in the legislative process at the state level, gaining experience in lawmaking and in representing the interests of his district at Harrisburg. His state legislative service helped to establish his reputation as a public official and prepared him for national office.

In 1894, Leisenring was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-fourth Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s 12th congressional district. His term in the U.S. House of Representatives extended from 1895 to 1897. Serving during a significant period in American history marked by debates over tariffs, monetary policy, and industrial regulation, he contributed to the legislative process and took part in the democratic governance of the nation. As a member of Congress, he represented the interests of his constituents from northeastern Pennsylvania, whose livelihoods were closely tied to coal mining and related industries. After completing this single term, he declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1896.

Following his decision not to seek another term in Congress, Leisenring remained active in Republican politics and in business. In 1896 he served as a delegate to the Republican State convention, participating in party deliberations at a time when national issues such as the gold standard and economic recovery were at the forefront. He resumed his former business pursuits, returning to the coal and related industries in which he had long been engaged. He served as president of the Upper Lehigh Coal Company, a position that underscored his continued leadership in the regional coal industry and his influence in the economic life of his community.

John Leisenring died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1901, at the age of 47. His remains were interred in the City Cemetery in what is now Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, the community formerly known as Mauch Chunk. His career reflected the close connections between industry and politics in late nineteenth-century Pennsylvania, encompassing technical work as an engineer, leadership in coal and related enterprises, service in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and one term in the United States Congress.