George N. Wade

George N. Wade, longtime State Senator representing Pennsylvania’s 31^st district, was born on August 13, 1893 in Washington, Pennsylvania.¹ One of 9 children, Wade started work in the oil and coal industry at sixteen years of age. After briefly attending the Washington Institute and Business School, Wade meet and married his wife, Anna Ruth Platt in 1916. Together George and Anna had one child in 1917, George Wade Jr. In 1918, Wade volunteered for the Army and fought in France during World War I, serving in the Army Corp of Engineers. After returning home and moving to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Wade started an insurance branch during 1924, and became a state legislator in 1930 with his election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.²

Wade only served one term as a Representative, choosing to run for State Senate as a Republican in 1940. Wade would win Pennsylvania’s 31^st Senate Seat, starting a career in the Senate that would last until 1974. Throughout the course of his Senate career, Wade made his biggest impact in legislation surrounding transportation in Pennsylvania.³ Wade pushed for the improvement of the Pennsylvania highway system, serving as the chair of the Pennsylvania highway committee for 12 years during his tenure as a State Senator. Wade’s most notable accomplishment is the elimination of toll roads within Pennsylvania.

George Wade remained highly popular within his district for the duration of his political career, as evidenced by his reelection in 1972, despite being bedridden and hospitalized after a series of strokes.⁴ An avid campaigner, Wade kept his popular support by making sure to constantly meet and visit his constituents. He was well known among farmers in the region due to his habit of visiting the farms outside of Harrisburg, and made a point of buying from local businesses.⁵ Wade’s political philosophy was that as a representative of his constituents, he owed it to his district to make laws that matched what his district wanted. Wade opposed the used of rada by police to combat speeding because he felt that his constituency was opposed to it. Despite his popularity within his home district, Senator Wade never rose above the position of Chair of the Appropriations Committee in 1967. Senator Wade attempted to run for Lieutenant Governor in 1950, but failed to make it past the primary. He lost his only bid for Governorship to William Scranton in 1962, and again lost to his longtime political rival Harvey Taylor by one vote in the 1967 for President Pro tem of the Pennsylvania State Senate. Despite never reaching a position of high power, Senator Wade remained a highly influential senator throughout his tenure as a State Senator.

Wade died in January 1974 at 80 years of age due to a series of health issues. Wade’s long lasting impact in Pennsylvania can be most visibly seen with the George N. Wade Bridge north of Harrisburg running over the Susquehanna River, dedicated to him just before his death in 1973. Wade’s tenure in the Pennsylvania office lasted 50 years, making it the 3^rd longest in Pennsylvania history. The Senator was described as a “consummate politician”, serving at the will of the people he represented.⁶ While Senator Wade’s contributions to Pennsylvania politics might not have been the most visible, his contributions to Transportation and the popularity he enjoyed among his constituents makes him notable in the history of the Pennsylvanian Senate.

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