Charles M. Fassett

Charles Marvin Fassett (born December 23, 1858; died August 10, 1923) was mayor of Spokane, Washington 1914-1916 and 1918-1920 and author of works advocating the commission style of city government.

Education and business career

Originally from Elmira, New York, Fassett graduated from Elmira Free Academy, influenced by teacher Joel Dorman Steele to become a chemist. After briefly working as a pharmacist in Elmira, he relocated to Reno then Eureka, Nevada, working as a chemist, drug store owner and assayer.[1] Late in 1889 he relocated again, to Spokane, Washington, and opened C. M. Fassett & Co, assayers and chemists, which became one of the most prominent of such businesses in the “Inland Empire.” Fassett also served as consultant to mining companies, including directing the building of the first cyanide leach gold mill in Korea in 1900. He was supported financially by his cousin, Congressman Jacob Sloat Fassett of New York, whose son Newton was partner and briefly manager of the firm when Charles Fassett became involved in local politics.[2][3]

Government service

During the 1880s, Fassett served a term in the Nevada State Assembly and served as chief clerk at sessions in Carson City. In Spokane, Fassett became an advocate of clean politics and governance as exemplified by the commission style of city government, a typical Progressive Era reformer. With him leading the fight to change Spokane to a commission government, he became one of the first city commissioners in the spring of 1911. He was elected mayor and served December 1914 - January 1916 and again January 1918 - January 1920.[4][5]

His books on commission style government -- Assets of the Ideal City[6] and Handbook of Municipal Government[7] -- include descriptions of his service in Spokane. After leaving office, he became a professor on municipal government at the University of Kansas.

On August 10, 1923, he died while vacationing at his summer home on the banks of Spirit Lake, Kootenai County, Idaho.[8][9][10]

On January 1, 1884, he married Edith May Benham, daughter of a Spokane pioneer. They had a daughter and a son.

References
  1. Edwards, Jonathan (1900). An Illustrated History of Spokane County, Washington. San Francisco: W H Lever. p. 426. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  2. Durham, Nelson Wayne (1912). History of the City of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington. Chicago: S J Clarke. pp. 167–168. Retrieved 31 December 2018. history of spokane and inland empire.
  3. ""N. C. Fassett"". Elmira Star-Gazette. 19 November 1931.
  4. Rice, Bradley (1977). Progressive Cities: The Commission Government Movement in America, 1901–1920. Austin: University of Texas Press. pp. 96–97. ISBN 9780292766396. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  5. "City Council Chambers, Spokane, Washington". Official Gazette of the City of Spokane. January 5, 1918. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  6. Fassett, Charles (1922). Assets of the Ideal City. New York City: Thomas Y Crowle. pp. passim. Retrieved 31 December 2018. Charles M Fassett assets of the ideal city'.
  7. Fassett, Charles (1922). Handbook of Municipal Government. New York City: Thomas Y Crowle. pp. passim. Charles M Fassett handbook of municipal government.
  8. "Death of Charles Marvin Fassett"". Reno Gazette-Journal. August 11, 1923.
  9. ""Prof C. M. Fassett Dies"". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. August 11, 1923.
  10. "C. M. Fassett Dies". The Spokesman Review [Spokane]. 11 August 1923. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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