Guy Vander Jagt
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Guy Vander Jagt | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 9th district | |
In office November 8, 1966 – January 3, 1993 | |
Preceded by | Robert P. Griffin |
Succeeded by | Pete Hoekstra (redistricting) |
Member of the Michigan Senate from the 36th district | |
In office January 1, 1965 – November 1966 | |
Preceded by | District created |
Succeeded by | John Toepp |
Personal details | |
Born | Guy Adrian Vander Jagt August 26, 1931 Cadillac, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | June 22, 2007 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 75)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Carol Vander Jagt (m. 1964) |
Education | Hope College (BA) Yale University (BDiv) University of Michigan (JD) |
Guy Adrian Vander Jagt (/ˌvændər ˈdʒæk/ VAN-dər JAK; August 26, 1931 – June 22, 2007) was a Republican politician from Michigan. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Vander Jagt was described by President Nixon as "the best public speaker in America," a sentiment echoed by the producer of the Homebuilder's Convention: "I've been doing this for 26 years and have worked with Colin Powell, Margaret Thatcher and George Bush and many other greats and Vander Jagt was by far the best speaker we ever had." Ronald Reagan was quoted as saying "some call me the great communicator but if there was one thing I dreaded during my eight years in Washington it was having to follow Guy Vander Jagt to the podium."[1]
Early life and education
Vander Jagt was born in
Vander Jagt went on to attend Yale Divinity School, graduating in 1955 with a B.D. In 1956, he received a Rotary Foundation Fellowship to study for a year at the University of Bonn, Germany.[2]
When he returned to West Michigan, Vander Jagt served as an interim pastor of the Cadillac Congregational Church for a short time, before working at the WWTV TV station as a newscaster and news director. He reportedly memorized the text of each broadcast.[3]
Vander Jagt next returned to school to study law at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., but soon transferred to the University of Michigan Law School, where he received his J.D. in 1960. He began practicing law in Grand Rapids.
State Senate
In 1964, he was elected to the
Following the death of U.S. Senator Patrick V. McNamara in April 1966, Vander Jagt, along with fellow Republicans Robert P. Griffin and Leroy Augenstein, was a leading contender for appointment to the vacant US Senate seat. Michigan Governor George Romney set guidelines for determining a consensus candidate, including a minimum of 65% support. When it became clear that neither man would meet that threshold, Vander Jagt withdrew and threw his support behind Griffin, who was appointed to the Senate in May. In turn, Vander Jagt entered the race to succeed Griffin in Michigan's 9th congressional district, which stretched from his home in Cadillac along the Lake Michigan shoreline to Muskegon and the suburbs of Grand Rapids.
Vander Jagt ran in two elections on November 8, 1966–a special election for the balance of Griffin's fifth term, and a regular election for a full two-year term. He won both handily and was reelected 12 times, never facing serious opposition in a district widely considered to be the most Republican district in Michigan.
Congressional career
Committees
One of his earliest appointments was to the
National leadership
In 1980, Vander Jagt was chosen by presidential nominee
Repeal of the Twenty-Second Constitutional Amendment
In the late 1980s, Vander Jagt helped lead an effort to repeal the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, which limits a President to serve two terms. "Ronald Reagan is one of the greatest American Presidents of all time, and I want to keep him on the job," he explained in 1986, in a fundraising letter to raise funds for such a campaign.[4] In 1986, and again in 1987, 1989, and 1991, he sponsored such an amendment in the House.
Later life
In 1992, Vander Jagt's district was renumbered as the
Hoekstra scored a major upset, winning by over six points. He dominated his base in the district's more populated southern portion, including Muskegon and the Grand Rapids suburbs. Vander Jagt's margins in the northern portion weren't enough to close the gap.[5]
Vander Jagt returned to private law practice with the Cleveland-based law firm BakerHostetler. He died from pancreatic cancer at a hospice facility in Washington on June 22, 2007, at the age of 75.[6]
References
- United States Congress. "Guy Vander Jagt (id: V000027)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Hope College Joint Archives, holder of most of his papers, others are held by Grand Valley State University
- Grand Valley State Special Collections & University Archives, Guy Vander Jagt Papers, RHC-11
- Frontline interview "The Long March of Newt Gingrich"
Notes
- ^ "Inter-Speak biography". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2006-06-29.
- ^ Hope College Press Release. "Former U.S. Congressman Guy Vander Jagt Dies" Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine. Posted 2007-06-22, Accessed 2007-06-23
- ^ Brooky, Mark. "Former U.S. Rep. Guy Vander Jagt dies". Grand Haven Tribune. Saturday 2007-06-23. Accessed 2007-06-23
- ^ "Promoting Reagan for a 3d Term". The New York Times. July 22, 1986.
- ^ "MI District 02 – R Primary". ourcampaigns.com. August 4, 1992.
- ^ Zeleny, Jeff (June 23, 2007). "Guy Vander Jagt, 75, Long a Leader Within House G.O.P., Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2023.