John J. Fowles has been a Kansas educator since 1908 and is now superintendent of the city schools of Summerfield.
Largely through his own earnest efforts he acquired a liberal education. He was born in Eldora, Iowa, January 3, 1884. He is of a Colonial American family. This branch of the Fowlers came out of England and settled in New York in pioneer times His grandfather. Thomas Charles Fowler, was born in Kentucky and died at Eldora, Iowa, before John J. Fowler was born. He was one of the pioneers around Eldora and became well known as a stockman and farmer and a raiser of blooded horses. He married Miss Winterstein, a native of Iowa, who also died at Eldora Four of their children are still living: Henry A., connected with the engineering department of Vermillion University at Vermillion, South Dakota; Stephen and Nieholas, also residents of South Dakota; Blanche, wife of George Diedrich, a retired farmer living in Iowa.
T. S. Fowler, father of Superintendent Fowler, was born in 1851 and went as a child to Iowa with his parents. He grew up and married there and became a successful farmer and livestock man at Eldora, where he died in 1896. He was a democrat and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He married Mary Patterson, who was born in Cork, Ireland, in 1852 and died at Edora, Iowa, in February, 1897. Her father came to this country in 1856, locating in Hardin County, Iowa. T. S. Fowler and wife had four children; Helen, now living in the State of Washington; John J.; Gail S., wife of Chauncey Crosser, a farmer at Eldora, Iowa; and James F., who was connected with the Valley Bank and Trust Company at Winkelman, Arizona, at the time of his death in 1917.
John J. Fowler grew up on his father’s farm at Eldora. He attended public school, graduating from high school in 1905. Then for three years he was a student in Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, and after he had been teaching for some time he returned to that good old school and graduated with the degree Bachelor of Arts in 1912. While a college student he was an active member of the Amphictyon Literary Society.
Mr. Fowler came to Kansas and took the position of principal of the high school at Frankfort in 1908. After a year he resigned and became principal of the high school at Jewell, where he remained five years, and in 1914 was made principal of the high school at Marysville, Kansas. He had been superintendent of the schools at Summerfield since 1915. He also taught in County Teachers’ Institute and served on the state board of normal training examinera during summers.
Mr. Fowler is a member of the Kansas State Teachers Association and the Marshall County Teachers’ organization. He is a member of Summerfield Lodge No. 354, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
On December 27, 1912, in Kansas City, Kansas, he married Miss Leila Moore, daughter of John Moore, who at that time was principal of Horace Mann School. Her parents reside at Summerfield, her father being an insurance man. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have two children: Winifred, born October 2, 1913; and Ward S., born October 24, 1915.