John S. Wold

John S. Wold
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wyoming's At-large district
In office
January 3, 1969  January 3, 1971
Preceded by William H. Harrison
Succeeded by Teno Roncalio
Member of the Wyoming House of Representatives
In office
1957-1959
Personal details
Born (1916-08-31) August 31, 1916
East Orange, New Jersey
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Jane Wold (married 19??–2015; her death)
Alma mater Union College, Cornell University

John Schiller Wold (born August 31, 1916) is a business leader and Republican politician from Wyoming who served a single term in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1971.[1] He holds the distinction of being the first professional geologist to serve in Congress. Wold is, as of 2016, the oldest living former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the oldest single term member of the House. He turned 100 in August 2016.[2]

Biography

A Brother of the Alpha Delta Phi, Wold earned degrees from Union College in Schenectady, New York in 1938 and Cornell University in 1939.[3] During World War II, he served as a consulting physicist and gunnery officer for the U.S. Navy.[3]

Wold served in the Wyoming House of Representatives from 1957 to 1959 and was the state's Republican chairman from 1960 to 1964. In 1964, he ran for the U.S. Senate against freshman incumbent Democrat Gale McGee, who won by a 54% to 46% margin. In 1968, he narrowly defeated on-again, off-again Congressman William Henry Harrison in the Republican primary before winning a decisive general election victory. Two years later, he gave up his House seat to run against incumbent Sen. Gale McGee again. He lost the race by 56% to 44% and returned to the private sector, but has remained active as a Republican political donor.

Wold is the founder of Wold Oil Properties, Inc., in Casper, Wyoming. The company is, as of 2016, operated by his sons. In 2002, Wold made a $20 million donation to his alma mater, Union College—the biggest in its history. Wold's father, Peter Wold, was a professor of physics at Union College from 1920 to 1945. The American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming named Wold as the "Wyoming Citizen of the Century" in the minerals, gas, and oil category in 1999.

References

  1. Shaffer, William R. Party and Ideology in the United States Congress. University Press of America, 1980. 258.
  2. Staff (2016-08-31). "John Wold '38 celebrates 100th birthday, donates $5M in memory of wife, Jane". Union College Magazine. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  3. 1 2 The Historical Encyclopedia of Wyoming, Volume 1. Wyoming Historical Institute, 1970. 253.


United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
William Henry Harrison
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Wyoming's at-large congressional district

1969 1971
Succeeded by
Teno Roncalio
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