Charles B. Hoeven
Encyclopedia
Charles Bernard Hoeven held elective office for forty consecutive years. He was elected or re-elected eleven times to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent districts in northern Iowa. He served in Congress for 22 years (from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1965), in the Seventy-eighth
Congress and in ten succeeding Congresses.
Born in Hospers, Iowa
, Hoeven attended the public schools and Alton (Iowa) High School.
During the First World War, Hoeven served in England and France as a sergeant in Company D, 350th Infantry, 88th Division, and with the Intelligence Service of the First Battalion.
He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa
at Iowa City, in 1920 and a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law
in 1922. He was admitted to the bar
in 1922 and began to practice law in Alton, Iowa
. He was elected as County Attorney of Sioux County, Iowa
in 1924, and served in that position from 1925 to 1937. Then, he was elected to the Iowa Senate
, where he served from 1937 to 1941, the last two years as
president pro tempore
.
In 1940, Hoeven ran for the Republican nomination in Iowa's 9th congressional district
(which was then represented by Democrat Vincent Harrington of Sioux City
). In the primary Hoeven finished a close second to Albert Swanson, and who in turn lost to Harrington in the general election by fewer than 2,500 votes out of over 130,000 cast. Newspapers and others speculated that, if Hoeven had won the primary, he would have defeated Harrington. Thus, when reapportionment shifted most of the old 9th district into Iowa's 8th congressional district
, Hoeven became an early front-runner for the 1942 Republican primary to run against Harrington. He won the primary, and a received a significant boost when Harrington resigned his House seat and the Democratic nomination two months before the 1942 general election to serve full-time in the U.S. Army Air Corps in England. Democrats quickly nominated new candidates to serve out Harrington's 9th district term and to run against Hoeven in the 8th district, but Hoeven won the 8th district seat by over 19,000 votes.
Hoeven was then re-elected to Congress from that district an additional nine times, the last time in 1960 (when he defeated future U.S. District Court Judge Donald E. O'Brien). Following the 1960 census, the 8th district was eliminated, which in 1962 caused Hoeven to run instead for an open seat in Iowa's 6th congressional district
. Hoeven was elected again. He chose not to run in 1964, the year in which 48 Republican seats (including Iowa's Sixth District) were lost to Democrats.
Hoeven also served as vice president of a savings bank.
In the Republican Party, Hoeven was a delegate to each Iowa State Republican Convention from 1925 to 1970, serving as chairman of the 1940 state convention. He was a delegate to the 1964 Republican National Convention
. In 1942, he also served as temporary and permanent chairman of Iowa Republican State Judicial Convention.
After retiring from Congress, he resided in Orange City, Iowa
, where he died on November 9, 1980.
He was interred in Nassau Township Cemetery, in Alton, Iowa
.
78th United States Congress
The Seventy-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1943 to January 3, 1945, during the last two years...
Congress and in ten succeeding Congresses.
Born in Hospers, Iowa
Hospers, Iowa
Hospers is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States, along the Floyd River. The population was 672 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hospers is located at ....
, Hoeven attended the public schools and Alton (Iowa) High School.
During the First World War, Hoeven served in England and France as a sergeant in Company D, 350th Infantry, 88th Division, and with the Intelligence Service of the First Battalion.
He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
at Iowa City, in 1920 and a law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law
University of Iowa College of Law
The University of Iowa College of Law is one of the eleven professional graduate schools at the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1865, it is the oldest law school in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. The law school was ranked as the 27th best law school...
in 1922. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1922 and began to practice law in Alton, Iowa
Alton, Iowa
Alton is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States, along the Floyd River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,095.-Geography:Alton is located at ....
. He was elected as County Attorney of Sioux County, Iowa
Sioux County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 33,704 in the county, with a population density of . There were 12,279 housing units, of which 11,584 were occupied.-2000 census:...
in 1924, and served in that position from 1925 to 1937. Then, he was elected to the Iowa Senate
Iowa Senate
The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 members of the Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 59,500 per constituency. Each Senate district is composed of two House districts...
, where he served from 1937 to 1941, the last two years as
president pro tempore
President pro tempore
A President pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer...
.
In 1940, Hoeven ran for the Republican nomination in Iowa's 9th congressional district
Iowa's 9th congressional district
Iowa’s 9th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1943. The district was configured four times, first as part of a nine-district plan, then twice in eleven-district plans, then again in a nine-district plan...
(which was then represented by Democrat Vincent Harrington of Sioux City
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
). In the primary Hoeven finished a close second to Albert Swanson, and who in turn lost to Harrington in the general election by fewer than 2,500 votes out of over 130,000 cast. Newspapers and others speculated that, if Hoeven had won the primary, he would have defeated Harrington. Thus, when reapportionment shifted most of the old 9th district into Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district
Iowa's 8th congressional district existed from 1873 to 1963. The district was configured five times. Although the district encompassed four different areas of Iowa in its ninety-year existence, it was always predominantly rural, and elected a Republican lawyer to the United States House of...
, Hoeven became an early front-runner for the 1942 Republican primary to run against Harrington. He won the primary, and a received a significant boost when Harrington resigned his House seat and the Democratic nomination two months before the 1942 general election to serve full-time in the U.S. Army Air Corps in England. Democrats quickly nominated new candidates to serve out Harrington's 9th district term and to run against Hoeven in the 8th district, but Hoeven won the 8th district seat by over 19,000 votes.
Hoeven was then re-elected to Congress from that district an additional nine times, the last time in 1960 (when he defeated future U.S. District Court Judge Donald E. O'Brien). Following the 1960 census, the 8th district was eliminated, which in 1962 caused Hoeven to run instead for an open seat in Iowa's 6th congressional district
Iowa's 6th congressional district
Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former congressional district in Iowa. It existed from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's declining population....
. Hoeven was elected again. He chose not to run in 1964, the year in which 48 Republican seats (including Iowa's Sixth District) were lost to Democrats.
Hoeven also served as vice president of a savings bank.
In the Republican Party, Hoeven was a delegate to each Iowa State Republican Convention from 1925 to 1970, serving as chairman of the 1940 state convention. He was a delegate to the 1964 Republican National Convention
1964 Republican National Convention
The 1964 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States took place in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, on July 13 to July 16, 1964. Before 1964, there had only been one national Republican convention on the West Coast...
. In 1942, he also served as temporary and permanent chairman of Iowa Republican State Judicial Convention.
After retiring from Congress, he resided in Orange City, Iowa
Orange City, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,582 people, 1,719 households, and 1,285 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,808.5 people per square mile . There were 1,805 housing units at an average density of 584.8 per square mile...
, where he died on November 9, 1980.
He was interred in Nassau Township Cemetery, in Alton, Iowa
Alton, Iowa
Alton is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States, along the Floyd River. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,095.-Geography:Alton is located at ....
.