John F. Seiberling
Encyclopedia
John Frederick Seiberling, Jr. (September 8, 1918 – August 2, 2008) was a United States Representative from Ohio
. In 1974, he helped to establish what later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
, and served on the House Judiciary Committee that held the impeachment
hearings
against President Richard Nixon
.
, Seiberling attended the public schools of Akron, and Staunton Military Academy
in Virginia
. He received his A.B.
from Harvard University
in 1941. His parents, Lieut. John Frederick Seiberling (1888 – 1962) and Henrietta McBrayer Buckler (1888 – 1979), had been wed on October 11, 1917 in Akron, Ohio. He had two sisters: Mary Gertrude Seiberling (born 1920) and Dorothy Buckler Lethbridge Seiberling (born 1922). His paternal grandparents were Franklin Augustus Seiberling
and Gertrude Ferguson Penfield. His maternal grandparents were Julius Augustus Buckler and Mary Maddox.
During World War II
he served in the United States Army
from 1942 to 1946. He was subsequently awarded the Legion of Merit
for his participation in the Allied planning of the D-Day
invasion.
He married Elizabeth "Betty" Behr, a Vassar graduate, in 1949. They have three sons: John B., David and Stephen.
Seiberling received his LL.B. from Columbia Law School
in 1949. In 1950, Seiblerling was admitted to the New York bar
and went into private practice. He became an associate with a New York firm from 1949 to 1954, and then became a volunteer with the New York Legal Aid Society in 1950. He served as a corporate attorney in private industry from 1954 to 1970, including working as a corporate attorney for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
. During this time he was a member of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission in Akron from 1964 to 1970.
Seiberling was elected as a Democrat
to the Ninety-second
and to the seven succeeding Congresses, serving the 14th district from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1987. His political legacy includes enacting bipartisan environmental protections and participating in a 1975 Congressional delegation to the Middle East that helped precipitate the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty
. Seiberling was not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundredth Congress
in 1986.
After his time in Congress, Seiberling served as faculty at the law school of the University of Akron
from 1992 to 1996.
On January 8, 2001, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal
by President Clinton
.
On Thursday, October 12, 2006, President George W. Bush
signed into law H.R. 6051, which designates the Federal building and United States courthouse in Akron as the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Seiberling died of respiratory failure
at his home in Copley, Ohio on August 2, 2008.
John Seiberling's cousin, Francis Seiberling
, was also a U.S. Representative from Ohio (Republican
). His mother, Henrietta Buckler Seiberling, was a seminal figure in Alcoholics Anonymous' founding
and core spiritual ideals. His paternal grandfather was Frank Seiberling
, founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
. The family's one-time home, Stan Hywet
, is now a national museum.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. In 1974, he helped to establish what later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. The park is the only national park in Ohio.Cuyahoga means "crooked river" in Mohawk....
, and served on the House Judiciary Committee that held the impeachment
Impeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
hearings
Congressional hearing
Congressional hearings are the principal formal method by which committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Whether confirmation hearings — a procedure unique to the Senate — legislative, oversight, investigative, or a combination of these, all...
against President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
.
Biography
Born in Akron, OhioAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Seiberling attended the public schools of Akron, and Staunton Military Academy
Staunton Military Academy
Staunton Military Academy was an all-male military academy located in Staunton, Virginia for much of its 116-year history. The school closed in 1976. Many notable American political and military leaders are graduates...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. He received his A.B.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1941. His parents, Lieut. John Frederick Seiberling (1888 – 1962) and Henrietta McBrayer Buckler (1888 – 1979), had been wed on October 11, 1917 in Akron, Ohio. He had two sisters: Mary Gertrude Seiberling (born 1920) and Dorothy Buckler Lethbridge Seiberling (born 1922). His paternal grandparents were Franklin Augustus Seiberling
Frank Seiberling
Franklin Augustus Seiberling was an American inventor and founder. He is most famous for founding the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and the Seiberling Rubber Company...
and Gertrude Ferguson Penfield. His maternal grandparents were Julius Augustus Buckler and Mary Maddox.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served in the United States 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...
from 1942 to 1946. He was subsequently awarded the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
for his participation in the Allied planning of the D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
invasion.
He married Elizabeth "Betty" Behr, a Vassar graduate, in 1949. They have three sons: John B., David and Stephen.
Seiberling received his LL.B. from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in 1949. In 1950, Seiblerling was admitted to the New York bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
and went into private practice. He became an associate with a New York firm from 1949 to 1954, and then became a volunteer with the New York Legal Aid Society in 1950. He served as a corporate attorney in private industry from 1954 to 1970, including working as a corporate attorney for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
. During this time he was a member of the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission in Akron from 1964 to 1970.
Seiberling was elected as a 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...
to the Ninety-second
92nd United States Congress
The Ninety-second 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...
and to the seven succeeding Congresses, serving the 14th district from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1987. His political legacy includes enacting bipartisan environmental protections and participating in a 1975 Congressional delegation to the Middle East that helped precipitate the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty
Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty
The 1979 Egypt–Israel Peace Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on the 26th of March 1979, following the 1978 Camp David Accords, which were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and were witnessed by United States President Jimmy Carter.The peace...
. Seiberling was not a candidate for reelection to the One Hundredth Congress
100th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:- Senate :* President: George H.W. Bush * President pro tempore: John Stennis - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader, Democratic Conference Chairman, and Democratic Policy Committee Chairman: Robert Byrd...
in 1986.
After his time in Congress, Seiberling served as faculty at the law school of the University of Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
from 1992 to 1996.
On January 8, 2001, he was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal
Presidential Citizens Medal
The Presidential Citizens Medal is the second highest civilian award in the United States, second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is awarded by the President of the United States, and may be given posthumously....
by President Clinton
William Clinton
Bill Clinton is the 42nd President of the United States. William Clinton may also refer to:*William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon , English nobleman from prominent Norman family dating to William the Conqueror; Lord High Admiral as of 1333*William Henry Clinton , British general from...
.
On Thursday, October 12, 2006, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed into law H.R. 6051, which designates the Federal building and United States courthouse in Akron as the John F. Seiberling Federal Building and United States Courthouse. Seiberling died of respiratory failure
Respiratory failure
The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
at his home in Copley, Ohio on August 2, 2008.
John Seiberling's cousin, Francis Seiberling
Francis Seiberling
Francis Seiberling was a U.S. Representative from Ohio, cousin of John F. Seiberling.Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Seiberling moved with his parents to Wadsworth, Ohio, in 1873....
, was also a U.S. Representative from Ohio (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...
). His mother, Henrietta Buckler Seiberling, was a seminal figure in Alcoholics Anonymous' founding
History of Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Robert Smith . Subsequently, The history of Alcoholics Anonymous has been documented in books, movies, and AA literature...
and core spiritual ideals. His paternal grandfather was Frank Seiberling
Frank Seiberling
Franklin Augustus Seiberling was an American inventor and founder. He is most famous for founding the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and the Seiberling Rubber Company...
, founder of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
. The family's one-time home, Stan Hywet
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens
Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens is a notable country estate, with gardens, located at 714 North Portage Path in Akron, Ohio. It ranks seventh on the list of largest houses in the United States....
, is now a national museum.
External links
- Preview only photo Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...