Roscoe Bartlett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roscoe Bartlett
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maryland's 6th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2013
Preceded by	Beverly Byron
Succeeded by	John Delaney
Personal details
Born	Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr. (1926-06-03) June 3, 1926 (age 99) Moorland, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ellen Louise Bartlett
Children	10, including Joseph
Residences	West Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater	Washington Adventist University (BS) University of Maryland, College Park (MS, PhD)

Roscoe Gardner Bartlett Jr. (born June 3, 1926) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for 20 years, from 1993 to 2013. As a member of the Republican Party, he represented the state of Maryland. When he left Congress, Bartlett was the second-oldest member of the House of Representatives.

Early Life and Education

Roscoe Bartlett was born in Moorland, Kentucky. He grew up attending a small one-room schoolhouse. In 1947, he graduated from Columbia Union College, which is now called Washington Adventist University. He earned a degree in theology and biology.

Bartlett had planned to become a minister, but he was told he was too young. Instead, he continued his studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. There, he earned a master's degree and later a PhD in physiology, which is the study of how living things function.

After finishing his education, Bartlett became a professor. He taught subjects like anatomy and physiology at several universities, including Loma Linda University and Howard University College of Medicine.

Political Career

Bartlett's career in politics began long before he was elected to Congress. He first ran for a major office in 1980 and again in 1982, but he was not successful in those elections.

First Election to Congress

Rep. Bartlett (center) with other politicians discussing security for the Washington D.C. area.

In 1992, Bartlett ran for Congress again. This time, he won the Republican primary election. In the main election, he faced a Democratic opponent. Many voters who usually supported Democrats decided to vote for Bartlett, and he won the election with 54% of the vote. This victory sent him to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Serving in Congress

For the next 20 years, Bartlett was re-elected many times, often by a large margin. He was the only Republican member of Congress from Maryland for part of his time in office.

During his tenure, Bartlett was involved in many important issues.

• Impeachment of President Clinton: In 1998, Bartlett voted in favor of the process to impeach President Bill Clinton. Impeachment is a process where Congress can charge a high-level official with a crime.
• Trade Agreements: In 1993, he voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a major trade deal between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
• Animal Research: Having been a scientist who worked with primates, Bartlett later called for an end to invasive research on great apes like chimpanzees. He helped introduce a bill to protect them.
• Energy Concerns: Bartlett was very interested in the world's energy supply. He believed in the theory of Peak Oil, which suggests that one day it will become much harder and more expensive to get oil. He started a group in Congress to discuss this issue.

Bartlett watches as President George W. Bush signs a law in 2006.

2012 Election and Defeat

In 2012, the map of Bartlett's congressional district was redrawn. This process, called redistricting, happens every ten years. The new map included more voters who tended to support the Democratic Party.

That year, Bartlett ran for re-election against Democrat John Delaney. The election was difficult for Bartlett, and he lost, receiving 38% of the vote compared to Delaney's 59%. This ended his 20-year career in Congress.

Committees and Caucuses

In Congress, members work in small groups called committees and caucuses to focus on specific topics. Bartlett served on several important committees:

• Committee on Armed Services (dealing with the military)
• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
• Committee on Small Business

He was also a member of several caucuses, including the Tea Party Caucus and the Liberty Caucus. He was a founding member of the Peak Oil Caucus.

Personal Life

An earlier photo of Congressman Bartlett.

Roscoe Bartlett and his wife, Ellen, have 10 children. One of their sons, Joseph, also served in politics as a member of the Maryland state government. They also have many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

After leaving Congress, Bartlett and his wife moved to a cabin in the mountains of West Virginia. They chose to live "off-the-grid," meaning their home is not connected to public electricity or water.

Bartlett is a vegetarian and a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Electoral History

This table shows the results of the major elections Roscoe Bartlett participated in for the U.S. House of Representatives.