John Finley Baldwin Jr. (June 28, 1915 – March 9, 1966) was an American lawyer, military officer, and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from California from 1955 to 1966. He was a civil rights activist, and studied southern history.[1]
John F. Baldwin Jr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |
| In office January 3, 1955 – March 9, 1966 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Condon |
| Succeeded by | Jerome R. Waldie |
| Constituency | 6th district (1955–1963) 14th district (1963–1966) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1915 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 9, 1966 (aged 50) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oakmont Memorial Park |
| Spouse |
Mary Isaacs Baldwin (m. 1944) |
| Alma mater | University of California at Berkeley, UC Berkeley School of Law |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1946 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Early life
editBorn in Oakland, California, in 1915 to John Finley Baldwin and Nellie Linekin, John F. Baldwin Jr. graduated from San Ramon Valley High School located in Danville, California. He then went on to UC Berkeley, where he majored in accounting and finance. He graduated from UC Berkeley in 1935 and soon after he became the assistant manager of South-Western Publishing Co.[2][3]
John and Mary were married at the Presidio of San Francisco in December 1944, while he was a Major in the Army and Mary was a secretary.[4]
Career
editBaldwin joined the United States Army in 1941 and served in the area of finance, first as a training director at the Army Finance School and later with the Office of Fiscal Director. By the time of his retirement in 1946, he had attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel.[3][5]
He then returned to school to study law, graduating from the University of California Boalt Hall School of Law in 1949.[3]
Congress
editHe was elected as a Republican in 1954, and served from January 3, 1955, until his death from cancer at Bethesda Naval Hospital on March 9, 1966, aged 50.[1][6]
Baldwin voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[7] 1960,[8] and 1964,[9] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[10][11]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Condon | 87,768 | 50.6 | ||
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. | 85,756 | 49.4 | ||
| Total votes | 173,524 | 100.0 | |||
| Democratic win (new seat) | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. | 72,336 | 50.9 | |||
| Democratic | Robert Condon (Incumbent) | 69,776 | 49.1 | |||
| Total votes | 142,112 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. (Incumbent) | 98,683 | 53.7 | |
| Democratic | H. Roberts Quinney | 84,965 | 46.3 | |
| Total votes | 183,648 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. (Incumbent) | 92,669 | 51 | |
| Democratic | Howard H. Jewel | 89,192 | 49 | |
| Total votes | 181,861 | 100 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. (Incumbent) | 128,418 | 58.7 | |
| Democratic | Douglas R. Page | 90,260 | 41.3 | |
| Total votes | 218,678 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. (Incumbent) | 99,040 | 62.9 | |
| Democratic | Charles R. Weidner | 58,469 | 37.1 | |
| Total votes | 157,509 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Baldwin Jr. (Incumbent) | 117,272 | 64.9 | |
| Democratic | Russell M. Koch | 63,469 | 35.1 | |
| Total votes | 180,741 | 100.0 | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
Legacy
edit- John F. Baldwin Elementary School, in Danville, was named after him. John F. Baldwin Park in Concord was also established to honor him.
- John F. Baldwin Shipping Channel is named after him.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "John Finley Baldwin Jr". History, Arts, & Archives-- US House of Representatives. 2010.
- ^ "Biography -Baldwin". Political Graveyard. 2011.
- ^ a b c
- United States Congress. "John F. Baldwin Jr. (id: B000092)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ "Mary Isaacs Baldwin". Martinez News-Gazette. 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Marquis Who's Who, Inc. Who Was Who in American History, the Military. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1975. P. 26 ISBN 0837932017 OCLC 657162692
- ^ "Rep. John Baldwin of California Dies". The New York Times. Associated Press. March 10, 1966. p. 33.
- ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
- ^ "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE".
- ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
- ^ "1952 election results" (PDF).
- ^ "1954 election results" (PDF).
- ^ "1956 election results" (PDF).
- ^ 1958 election results
- ^ "1960 election results" (PDF).
- ^ 1962 election results
- ^ 1964 election results
External links
edit
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress