ames Putman Goodrich was
the twenty-eighth (person to serve as) Governor of the State of Indiana.
He was born at Winchester, Indiana, on February 10, 1864. He is the son of
John Belle and Elizabeth Putnam (Edger) Goodrich. He attended the public
schools and graduated from the High School of Winchester in 1881. Mr. Goodrich
taught a country school in Randolph County for about a year and a half, and
in the fall of 1884 entered DePauw University and spent two years there.
He was admitted to the bar in 1886 and continued to practice law in Winchester, until 1910, when he became a member of the firm of Monks, Rollings and Goodrich of Indianapolis. March 15, 1888, he married Cora First, of Lynn.
From 1901 to 1910 he served as Republican State Chairman and previous to that was Eighth District Chairman. From 1912 to 1916 he was Republican National Committeeman from this state.
In the 1916 state-wide primary, James P. Goodrich was nominated over two other contestants as the Republican candidate for Governor of Indiana, and defeated John A. M. Adair, Democrat, at the November election, serving a full term from 1917 to 1921, during the trying period of First World War.
While Governor he devoted considerable attention to tax problems and his messages to the General Assembly advocated drastic reforms in the existing system of taxation. He secured the passage of a tax law providing for assessment at full cash value and giving the State Tax Board increased powers. The creation of the State Highway Commission and the Department of Conservation, the development of state parks, a prohibition law and provision for the Indiana World War Memorial at Indianapolis were among the important measures enacted during his administration. He called a one-day session of the Legislature on January 16, 1920, to ratify the federal woman suffrage amendment and another special session beginning July 12, 1920, made necessary by an emergency in state finances. He brought to state government training and ability that enabled him to give it an efficient business administration.
He has served as a member of the Winchester School Board; since 1912 he has been a trustee of Wabash College and of McCormick Theological Seminary, now the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of Chicago. Since November 10, 1921, he has served as a trustee of the Indiana World War Memorial Commission.
In 1923 Governor Goodrich was appointed on the Indiana Deep Waterways Commission to investigate means for securing a deep-water channel between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean by means of the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence River. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Tidewater Association and, by appointment by President Coolidge, is a member of the International St. Lawrence Waterways Commission to negotiate a treaty with Canada for the construction of the water way.
He was appointed twice by President Harding as an unofficial observer to study the economic and social conditions of Russia. In 1922 President Harding appointed him a member of the commission to purchase and distribute $20,000,000 worth of American food to the Russian famine district. He was appointed by President Hoover, and is now, a member of the Committee on the conservation and Administration of the Public Domain.
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