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Jerry Pettis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |
| In office January 3, 1967 – February 14, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Kenneth W. Dyal |
| Succeeded by | Shirley Neil Pettis |
| Constituency | 33rd district(1967–75) 37th district(1975) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jerry Lyle Pettis (1916-07-18)July 18, 1916 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Died | February 14, 1975(1975-02-14) (aged 58) |
| Resting place | Montecito Memorial Park,Colton, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Shirley Neil Pettis |
| Alma mater | Pacific Union College |
| Profession | Rancher, teacher, aviator, religious leader, businessman |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  U.S. Army Air Forces |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Jerry Lyle Pettis (July 18, 1916 – February 14, 1975) was an American politician and a four-termcongressman fromCalifornia from 1967 to 1975. He was also a rancher, teacher, aviator, religious leader, and businessman. Pettis was the firstSeventh Day Adventist elected toCongress.[citation needed]
In 1966, he was elected as aRepublican to theU.S. House of Representatives, and he was re-elected in 1968, 1970, 1972 and 1974. He represented California's33rd Congressional District until January 1975 and its37th Congressional District thereafter.
Educated in Arizona and California, he graduated fromPacific Union College inAngwin, California in 1938. He did graduate work at theUniversity of Southern California and theUniversity of Denver in 1939-1941 before becoming a businessman. He served in theUnited States Army Air Forces duringWorld War II and was a pilot forUnited Airlines.
He was aSeventh-day Adventist.
Pettis was killed on February 14, 1975, when theBeechcraft Model V35B Bonanza he was piloting crashed in theSan Gorgonio Pass inRiverside County, California, nearCherry Valley, after he encountered adverse weather conditions.[1][2] He is buried atMontecito Memorial Park in Colton, California.[3]
Pettis's wife,Shirley Neil Pettis, replaced him in the House when she won a special election on April 29, 1975.
The Jerry Pettis Memorial Veterans Administration Hospital inLoma Linda, California, was so named in his honor. Hiscongressional papers are located in the Archives & Special Collections atLoma Linda University.
During the 1970s, the Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Scholarship was established and is awarded by theAmerican Medical Association Foundation to "students pursuing careers in science communications".[4]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kenneth W. Dyal | 109,047 | 51.7 | |
| Republican | Jerry Pettis | 101,742 | 48.3 | |
| Total votes | 210,789 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Pettis | 102,401 | 53.5 | |||
| Democratic | Kenneth W. Dyal (incumbent) | 89,071 | 46.5 | |||
| Total votes | 191,472 | 100.0 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Pettis (Incumbent) | 123,426 | 66.3 | |
| Democratic | Al C. Bellard | 59,619 | 32.0 | |
| American Independent | Earl D. Wallen | 3,171 | 1.7 | |
| Total votes | 186,216 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Pettis (Incumbent) | 116,093 | 72.2 | |
| Democratic | Chester M. Wright | 44,764 | 27.8 | |
| Total votes | 160,857 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Pettis (Incumbent) | 140,304 | 75.1 | |
| Democratic | Ken Thompson | 46,626 | 24.9 | |
| Total votes | 186,930 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jerry Pettis (Incumbent) | 88,548 | 63.2 | |
| Democratic | Bobby Ray Vincent | 46,449 | 32.9 | |
| American Independent | John H. Ortman | 5,522 | 3.9 | |
| Total votes | 140,519 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 33rd congressional district January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 37th congressional district January 3, 1975 – February 14, 1975 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
