Gale Schisler

Who is Gale Schisler?

Gale Schisler is a former teacher and politician. Born Darwin Gale Schisler on a farm in Knox County, Illinois, he graduated from Abingdon High School in 1952, served in the United States Air Force from 1952–1955, and graduated from Western Illinois University in 1959. He served as teacher and principal for London Mills, Illinois, High School until 1964.

In 1964, the Democrats in Illinois' 19th Congressional District had no candidate in the primary for U.S. representative. Friends of Schisler got involved in a write-in campaign and got Schisler on the November ballot. In the November election, he defeated incumbent Robert T. McLoskey. In 1965, the state courts remapped the 19th district in a way which inadvertently favored Republicans, and Schisler narrowly lost his 1966 reelection bid to Tom Railsback.

In 1967, Schisler was appointed by governor Otto Kerner, Jr. to be head of the Illinois Office of Intergovernmental Cooperation. He was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1968 and was a member until 1980.

Schisler currently lives in London Mills, Illinois.