Jack Metcalf
Encyclopedia
Jack Metcalf was an American politician
who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
from 1995 to 2001. He represented the 2nd Congressional District
of Washington as a Republican
.
Metcalf was born in Marysville, Washington
. After graduating from high school, he entered the U.S. Army
, and was discharged in 1947. He then worked for two years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
as a marshal in Alaska
. Metcalf received a bachelor's degree in education from Pacific Lutheran University
in 1951, and a master's degree from the University of Washington
in 1966. Metcalf worked as a teacher for thirty years, later retiring to run a bed and breakfast
on his family's homestead at Langley, Washington
.
Metcalf was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives
in 1960, representing the 38th District. Defeated for a third term in 1964, he was elected to the Washington State Senate
in 1966 from the 21st District and served until 1974, and served again from the 10th District from 1980 to 1992. He twice ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Democrat
Warren G. Magnuson
for United States Senate
in 1968 and 1974. In 1992
, Metcalf again sought national office, but was unable to defeat incumbent Democrat Al Swift
in the House election.
With Swift retiring from the House in 1994
, Metcalf ran yet again. This time, he was elected; he was re-elected in 1996
and 1998
. A supporter of term limit
s such as those proposed in the 1994 Contract with America
(which Metcalf had signed), Metcalf did not run for re-election in 2000 in order to honor his self-imposed term-limit of three two-year terms.
A Goldwater
conservative
, during the latter part of his political career Metcalf was known as an opponent of the Federal Reserve
, which he considered unconstitutional. He also built a close relationship with many in organized labor, especially with the building trade unions. In his last term in office (1998–2000) he surprised some observers by taking some additional positions unusual for a conservative Republican, such as working with Paul Watson
and Sea Shepherd
to protest whaling
by the Makah people, and hiring Washington state antiwar speaker and writer Craig B. Hulet http://www.craigbhulet.com/ as a special assistant. He also cosponsored legislation with Congressman Dennis Kucinich
to label genetically modified foods.
Metcalf also demonstrated a strong pragmatic streak while serving in Congress, including seeking out a position as a conferee on the TEA-21 Act of 1998. He delivered significant funding for a number of transportation infrastructure programs because of this work.
He was also a strong supporter of both Boeing
and its workers. In 1999 shortly after the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990
(a Boeing 767
) he and his wife travelled to Egypt
via EgyptAir
in order to show his confidence in the professionalism of the Egyptian flight crews and airlines, as well as the aircraft they flew.
A number of Metcalf's staff went on to run for or service in public office including State Representatives Kirk Pearson (39th leg.), Chris Strow (10th leg.) and Norma Smith (10th leg.). Lew Moore who served as Chief of Staff for much of Metcalf's tenure ran for Snohomish County
Executive in 1999 and served as Campaign Manager for Congressman Ron Paul
's 2008 presidential campaign
.
Metcalf died at age 79 at an Alzheimer's
care facility in Oak Harbor
.
On May 8, 2008 the Clinton ferry terminal in Clinton, Washington
was named after Metcalf, in part for his work to secure funding for safety improvements to it while a Member of Congress.
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1995 to 2001. He represented the 2nd Congressional District
Washington's 2nd congressional district
Washington's 2nd congressional district encompasses the northern portion of Western Washington from the vicinity of the King/Snohomish county line to the Canadian border, including the San Juan Islands. Since 2001, it has been represented by Democrat Rick Larsen.Originally created in 1909 when...
of Washington as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Metcalf was born in Marysville, Washington
Marysville, Washington
Marysville is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 60,020 at the 2010 census. Marysville is known as "The Strawberry City" due to the large number of strawberry farms that once surrounded the city in its earlier days. Over the past decade, and continuing...
. After graduating from high school, he entered the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, and was discharged in 1947. He then worked for two years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
as a marshal in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Metcalf received a bachelor's degree in education from Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...
in 1951, and a master's degree from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1966. Metcalf worked as a teacher for thirty years, later retiring to run a bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
on his family's homestead at Langley, Washington
Langley, Washington
Langley is a town in Island County, Washington, United States near the eastern end of the north shore of the south end of Whidbey Island. It is the third largest incorporated area on Whidbey. The population was 1,035 at the 2010 census, while the ZCTA for Langley's post office had a population of...
.
Metcalf was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives
Washington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the legislature of the U.S. State of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 districts, each of which elects two members. All members of the House are elected to a two-year term without...
in 1960, representing the 38th District. Defeated for a third term in 1964, he was elected to the Washington State Senate
Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 senators, each representing a district with a population of nearly 120,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia....
in 1966 from the 21st District and served until 1974, and served again from the 10th District from 1980 to 1992. He twice ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Warren G. Magnuson
Warren G. Magnuson
Warren Grant "Maggie" Magnuson was a United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member of the body...
for United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1968 and 1974. In 1992
United States House elections, 1992
The United States House of Representatives elections in 1992 coincided with the 1992 presidential election, in which Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore were elected as President and Vice President, respectively, defeating Republican incumbent President George H. W...
, Metcalf again sought national office, but was unable to defeat incumbent Democrat Al Swift
Al Swift
Allan Byron Swift , an Emmy award–winning broadcaster, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1995. He represented the Second Congressional District of Washington as a Democrat....
in the House election.
With Swift retiring from the House in 1994
United States House elections, 1994
The 1994 U.S. House of Representatives election was held on November 8, 1994, in the middle of President Bill Clinton's first term. As a result of a 54-seat swing in membership from Democrats to Republicans, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the United States House of...
, Metcalf ran yet again. This time, he was elected; he was re-elected in 1996
United States House elections, 1996
The U.S. House election, 1996 was an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 5, 1996, which coincided with the re-election of Bill Clinton as President of the United States. Clinton's Democratic Party won a net of nine seats from the Republican Party, but the Republicans...
and 1998
United States House elections, 1998
The U.S. House elections in 1998 were part of the midterm elections held during President Bill Clinton's second term. They were a major disappointment to the Republican Party, which was expecting to gain seats due to the embarrassment Clinton suffered during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and the...
. A supporter of term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
s such as those proposed in the 1994 Contract with America
Contract with America
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...
(which Metcalf had signed), Metcalf did not run for re-election in 2000 in order to honor his self-imposed term-limit of three two-year terms.
A Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
, during the latter part of his political career Metcalf was known as an opponent of the Federal Reserve
Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly a severe panic in 1907...
, which he considered unconstitutional. He also built a close relationship with many in organized labor, especially with the building trade unions. In his last term in office (1998–2000) he surprised some observers by taking some additional positions unusual for a conservative Republican, such as working with Paul Watson
Paul Watson
Paul Watson is a Canadian animal rights and environmental activist, who founded and is president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action group devoted to marine conservation....
and Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit, marine conservation organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington in the United States. The group uses direct action tactics to protect sealife...
to protest whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
by the Makah people, and hiring Washington state antiwar speaker and writer Craig B. Hulet http://www.craigbhulet.com/ as a special assistant. He also cosponsored legislation with Congressman Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....
to label genetically modified foods.
Metcalf also demonstrated a strong pragmatic streak while serving in Congress, including seeking out a position as a conferee on the TEA-21 Act of 1998. He delivered significant funding for a number of transportation infrastructure programs because of this work.
He was also a strong supporter of both Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
and its workers. In 1999 shortly after the crash of EgyptAir Flight 990
EgyptAir Flight 990
EgyptAir Flight 990 was a regularly scheduled flight from Los Angeles International Airport, California to Cairo International Airport, Egypt, with a stop at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York...
(a Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
) he and his wife travelled to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
via EgyptAir
EgyptAir
EgyptAir is the flag carrier airline of Egypt and a member of Star Alliance. The airline is based at Cairo International Airport, its main hub, operating scheduled passenger and freight services to more than 75 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas...
in order to show his confidence in the professionalism of the Egyptian flight crews and airlines, as well as the aircraft they flew.
A number of Metcalf's staff went on to run for or service in public office including State Representatives Kirk Pearson (39th leg.), Chris Strow (10th leg.) and Norma Smith (10th leg.). Lew Moore who served as Chief of Staff for much of Metcalf's tenure ran for Snohomish County
Snohomish County, Washington
Snohomish County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. It is named after the Snohomish tribe. Since 2000, the county's population has grown from 606,024 to 713,335 residents , making it one of the fastest-growing in the state, ranking third in overall population after King and...
Executive in 1999 and served as Campaign Manager for Congressman Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
's 2008 presidential campaign
Ron Paul presidential campaign, 2008
Ron Paul was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election.Initial opinion polls during the first three quarters of 2007 showed Ron Paul consistently receiving support from 3% or less of those polled...
.
Metcalf died at age 79 at an Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
care facility in Oak Harbor
Oak Harbor, Washington
Oak Harbor is a city located on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington. The population was 22,075 at the 2010 census.Oak Harbor was incorporated on May 14, 1915.-History:Oak Harbor is Whidbey Island's largest incorporated city...
.
On May 8, 2008 the Clinton ferry terminal in Clinton, Washington
Clinton, Washington
Clinton is a community and census-designated place located on southern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. The town was named after Clinton, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the village was 928. However, the post office serves at least 2,500 people.Clinton is the western...
was named after Metcalf, in part for his work to secure funding for safety improvements to it while a Member of Congress.