Alvan T. Fuller (February 27, 1878-April 30, 1958) was an American political figure, and Governor of Massachusetts from 1925 until 1929. Fuller was born on February 27, 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts. Educated in the public schools, he ran a bicycle repair shop in Malden, Massachusetts, and became champion cyclist. In 1899, when automobiles first began to be manufactured, the 21 year old sold his racing prizes and used the money to travel to Europe, where he bought two cars and had them shipped to Boston. By 1904, he had opened a Packard Motor Car dealership in Boston, which by 1920 was recognized as the world's most successful automobile dealership.
Mr. Fuller entered politics as a Republican member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he served one term from 1915 to 1917. In 1916, he was elected as an Indepdendent to the U.S. House of Representatives, and re-elected to the 66th Congress in 1918 as a Republican, serving from 1917 to 1921. From 1921 to 1925, he served as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, and was elected Governor of Massachusetts in 1924. He was re-elected in 1926, and served as Governor from 1925 to 1929.
During his administration, Governor Fuller faced a significant budget deficit leading to initiatives to reduce and economize the operations of state government. The fear of the spread of communism or the "Red Scare" combined with labor issues continued to be in the forefront of the national consciousness, manifesting itself in the Sacco and Vanzetti Murder Trial. Governor Fuller appointed a three-member panel: Harvard President Abbott Lawrence Lowell; MIT President Dr. Samuel W. Stratton; and retired Probate Judge Robert Grant to investigate the case and see if the trials were fair. Governor Fuller accepted the committee's assessment and based on that assessment refused to further delay their executions.
Following his tenure in public life, Governor Fuller returned to his auto dealership and served as Chairman of the Board of Cadillac-Oldsmobile Company of Boston. According to the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, Governor Fuller never accepted compensation for services while in public office. Rather, it is believed he later presented those payments to his children upon the completion of his terms as governor.
Governor Fuller died on April 30, 1958. His remains were cremated and interred in East Cemetery, Rye Beach, New Hampshire.
