John Dingell Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John D. Dingell
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 15th district |
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| In office March 4, 1933 – September 19, 1955 |
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| Preceded by | District established |
| Succeeded by | John Dingell, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John David Dingell
February 2, 1894 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | September 19, 1955 (aged 61) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Grace Blossom Bigler |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | John D. Dingell Jr. (son) |
| Residences | Dearborn, Michigan |
John David Dingell Sr. (born February 2, 1894 – died September 19, 1955) was an American politician. He represented a part of Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1933 until 1955. He was a member of the Democratic Party. His son, John Dingell Jr., later became the longest-serving member of Congress in history.
Growing Up
John Dingell Sr. was born in Detroit, Michigan. His parents, Marie and Joseph, were immigrants from Poland. Their family name, Dzięglewicz, was later changed to 'Dingell' to make it easier to say in English.
As a young person, he worked many jobs. He was a newsboy, a printer, and also worked for newspapers. He helped build natural gas pipelines. He also sold beef and pork products.
Dingell married Grace Blossom Bigler. They had four children: John Jr., Patricia Ann, James, and Julè. Sadly, Patricia Ann passed away when she was very young. The family lived in Detroit. John Sr. worked as a printer for the Detroit Free Press newspaper. He was also active in helping to organize labor unions.
John Sr. had health problems like asthma and tuberculosis. Because of this, his family moved for a short time to Colorado Springs. They went there so he could get special medical care. His son, John Jr., was born there in 1926.
Political Journey
John Dingell Sr. first tried to become a politician in 1924. He ran for a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives but did not win.
After the 1930 U.S. Census, Michigan gained four new seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1932, Dingell was elected to represent the new 15th District in western Detroit. He won as a Democrat. He was reelected eleven times, serving in Congress until he passed away at age 61. He is buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan.
When he first started in Congress, Dingell strongly supported the "New Deal" programs. These were government plans created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to help people during the Great Depression. During World War II, he suggested a plan to ensure loyalty from people of Japanese descent living in Hawaii. This reflected the strong national security concerns of that time. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he called for an investigation into what happened.
Lasting Impact
After John Dingell Sr. passed away in 1955, his son, John Jr., ran in a special election to take his father's place. John Jr. won and began serving in Congress in December 1955.
John Dingell Jr. served for a very long time, becoming the longest-serving member of Congress in history. He served for 59 years and 21 days! He retired in 2015. His wife, Debbie Dingell, was then elected to take his place. As of 2023, the Dingell family has represented the southeastern Michigan area for 90 years in a row.
One important idea that both John Sr. and John Jr. worked on was a plan for national health insurance. John Sr. first suggested this idea in 1933. Since then, either he or his son reintroduced this plan in almost every Congress.
John Dingell Sr.'s grandson, Christopher D. Dingell, also became a politician. He was elected to the Michigan State Senate in 1986.
See also
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)
