Bob Edgar | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's7th district | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Lawrence Williams |
| Succeeded by | Curt Weldon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert William Edgar (1943-05-29)May 29, 1943 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 2013(2013-04-23) (aged 69) Burke, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Merle Louise Deaver |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Drew University |
| Occupation | Politician, administrator, educator, chaplain |
Robert William Edgar (May 29, 1943 – April 23, 2013) was an American politician, administrator, and religious leader. A native of thePhiladelphia area, he began his career as a Methodist pastor and chaplain. He served as aDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987, representing the7th district ofPennsylvania. He was the unsuccessful Democratic candidate forUnited States Senate in Pennsylvania in1986.
After leaving Congress, Edgar served in various religious and political organizations, including as president of theClaremont School of Theology from 1990 to 2000, and as president and CEO ofCommon Cause, a nonpartisan government watchdog organization, from 2007 until his death.[1]
Edgar was born inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up inSpringfield, Pennsylvania.[2]
He attendedLycoming College inWilliamsport, Pennsylvania, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then was ordained a minister after graduating with aMaster of Divinity degree from the Theological School ofDrew University inMadison, New Jersey. He received a certificate in pastoral psychiatry fromHahnemann University Hospital inPhiladelphia in 1969. He later served as United Protestant Chaplain ofDrexel University, and as a special assistant to CongressmanBill Gray.[3] He was also the pastor of a Methodist church inLansdowne, Pennsylvania.[2]
Edgar and his wife, the former Merle Louise Deaver, had three sons.[2]
With his1974 election to theHouse of Representatives, Edgar became the firstDemocrat in 36 years to represent thisDelaware County-based district.[3]
Serving in theUnited States Congress from 1975 to 1987, Edgar sought to improvepublic transportation, authored the community Right to Know provisions of Super Fund legislation, and co-authored the newG.I. Bill for the all-volunteer service.[2] Among other appointments, he served as chair of the Congressional Clearinghouse on the Future from 1982 through 1986, and as a member of theHouse Select Committee on Assassinations, from 1976 through 1978, that investigated the deaths of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr., and PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.
Representing what was then a classicRockefeller Republican district, Edgar was reelected five times against vigorous Republican opposition. His closest contests came in 1978, when he only survived by 1,300 votes, and in 1984, when he won by only 412 votes. The latter election came in the midst ofRonald Reagan's landslide reelection victory; Reagan won the district by over 20 points.
Edgar ran for the United States Senate in1986, defeatingAuditor GeneralDon Bailey, a former congressman from western Pennsylvania, in the primary, but lost the general election to incumbentRepublicanSenatorArlen Specter by more than 12 percentage points. It is this experience that led Edgar to become frustrated withpolitical campaigning and money in politics, moving towards support forclean elections andcampaign finance reform, which he dictated at the 2004Democracy Matters Conference inAlbany, New York.[citation needed]
In 1990, Edgar began a ten-year term of service as President ofClaremont School of Theology,Claremont, California, a graduate-professional school related to theUnited Methodist Church and part of the Claremont educational consortium east of Los Angeles.[2] He assumed the role amid a period of financial difficulty for the school, and during his tenure, he oversaw an increased enrollment and endowment.[2] From 2001 until his death, he was a member of the Greater New JerseyAnnual Conference; he transferred from the California Pacific Conference.[4]
Edgar served on the boards of several organizations, including Independent Sector, the National Coalition for Health Care, and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. He also served on the board of directors of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, an independent, non-profit organization that is a principal resource for Congress on environmental and energy issues.
He was an endorser of theGenocide Intervention Network.[clarification needed]
In 2000, Edgar began a seven-year term as chief executive of theNational Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA.[2] Under his leadership, the 50-year-old NCC began to reshape its mission, focusing its energies on major initiatives in the areas of overcoming poverty, protecting thenatural environment, fosteringinterfaithunderstanding, and building international peace.[citation needed]
Following his retirement from the NCC, he became President ofCommon Cause in 2007, advocating for publicly funded elections.[2] He served in this role until his death on April 23, 2013, from a heart attack, at his home inBurke, Virginia.[5]
Edgar was recognized by several national organizations for his work, including by theAmerican Legion,Vietnam Veterans of America and theNational Taxpayers Union.[clarification needed][citation needed]
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 7th congressional district 1975–1987 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator from Pennsylvania (Class 3) 1986 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
