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James Van Zandt | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania | |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1963 | |
| Preceded by | D. Emmert Brumbaugh |
| Succeeded by | J. Irving Whalley (redistricted) |
| Constituency | 22nd district (1947–1953) 20th district (1953–1963) |
| In office January 3, 1939 – September 24, 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Don Gingery |
| Succeeded by | D. Emmert Brumbaugh |
| Constituency | 23rd district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Edward Van Zandt (1898-12-18)December 18, 1898 Altoona, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1986(1986-01-06) (aged 87) Arlington, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1917–1959 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
James Edward Van Zandt (December 18, 1898 – January 6, 1986) was an AmericanRepublican Party politician who representedAltoona, Pennsylvania in theU.S. House of Representatives for eleven terms from 1939 to 1963.
James Van Zandt was born inAltoona, Pennsylvania; his maternal grandparents wereIrish immigrants.[1] In 1917 he enlisted as an apprenticeseaman in theUnited States Navy and served two years. He was a member of theUnited States Naval Reserve from 1919 to 1943, rising to the rank oflieutenant. In December 1933 he toured the country withSmedley Butler to recruit members for theVeterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He was the national commander of theVeterans of Foreign Wars from 1934 to 1936. He later corroborated Butler's testimony regarding theBusiness Plot, stating that 'agents of Wall Street' had also attempted to recruit him for aplanned coup to overthrowFranklin Delano Roosevelt, shortly after Butler warned him against them.[2]
He was elected in1938 as a Republican to the76th,77th, and78th United States Congresses, and served from January 3, 1939, until his resignation September 24, 1943, when he re-entered the service. While a Member of Congress he was called to active duty in September 1941 and served until January 1942 with thePacific Fleet and in escortconvoy duty in theNorth Atlantic. He reentered the service in September 1943 as a lieutenant commander and was assigned to the Pacific area until discharged as a captain in 1946, and retired as rear admiral in United States Naval Reserve in 1959.
He was elected to the80th and to the seven succeeding Congresses. Van Zandt, while a member of theHouse Armed Services Committee, made an impassioned speech on the House floor leveling charges againstSecretary of DefenseLouis A. Johnson andAir Force SecretaryStuart Symington in regard to the procurement of the B-36 bomber. This speech brought into public view the "Revolt of the Admirals". The basis of these charges was a bogus document from Cedric Worth who was the special assistant to the Under Secretary of the Navy Dan Kimball. On June 9, 1948, the HASC voted to investigate the charges.[3]
In the1954 attack on the House of Representatives by Puerto Rican nationalists, he tackled and disarmed one of the shooters. Van Zandt voted in favor of theCivil Rights Acts of 1957 and1960,[4][5] as well as the24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.[6] In1962, he unsuccessfully challengedUnited States SenatorJoe Clark, who won re-election to a second term by a 51 to 49 percent margin. He was a Special Representative of theGovernor of Pennsylvania until 1971. He is buried atArlington National Cemetery.[7]
Media related toJames E. Van Zandt at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 23rd congressional district 1939–1943 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 22nd congressional district 1947–1953 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 20th congressional district 1953–1963 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromPennsylvania (Class 3) 1962 | Succeeded by |
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