George Robert Watkins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania | |
| In office January 3, 1965 – August 7, 1970 | |
| Preceded by | William H. Milliken, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John Ware |
| Constituency | 7th district (1965–1967) 9th district (1967–1970) |
| Member of thePennsylvania Senate from the9th district | |
| In office January 4, 1949 – November 30, 1960 | |
| Preceded by | Weldon Brinton Heyburn |
| Succeeded by | Clarence Bell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 21, 1902 Hampton, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 7, 1970(1970-08-07) (aged 68) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Hilda Jane Smerback |
George Robert Watkins (May 21, 1902 – August 7, 1970),[1] also known asG. Robert Watkins, was an American politician fromPennsylvania. He served as aRepublican member of thePennsylvania Senate 9th district from 1949 to 1960, theUnited States House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 7th congressional district from 1965 to 1967 and the United States House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 9th congressional district from 1967 to 1970.[2]
George Watkins was born on May 21, 1902, inHampton, Virginia. He learned the trade ofshipfitter inNewport News, Virginia.[3] In 1920, he moved toChester, Pennsylvania, and organized the Chester Stevedoring Company, which he sold in 1931. In the 1920s, he was known to shipbootleg alcohol for theDelaware County Republicanpolitical boss,John J. McClure.[4] In 1932, he and a partner founded the Blue Line Transfer Company and operated hundreds of trucks in the eastern United States.[2] Watkins was president and board chairman of the Blue Line Transfer Company.[3]
In 1945, Watkins was electedSheriff ofDelaware County, Pennsylvania, and served one term through 1948.[5]
In 1948, Watkins was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate, 9th district, where he served from 1949 to 1960.[2] He was succeeded byClarence D. Bell.
Watkins served one term as county commissioner for Delaware County, from 1960 to 1964.[5]
In 1964, Watkins was elected to the89th United States Congress as a representative for Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district and served from 1965 to 1967.[5]
Watkins was reelected to the90th United States Congress and the91st United States Congress.[5]
Watkins served on theCommittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce during the 89th and 90th Congresses. He was appointed a member on Oct. 19, 1966, upon the resignation of viceWillard S. Curtin. At his death, he was succeeded on the committee on Sept. 23, 1970 by RepublicanJohn G. Schmitz ofCalifornia.[6]
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On February 17, 1964, theU.S. Supreme Court rendered a long-awaited decision oncongressional redistricting. By a six to three vote, the Court, inWesberry v. Sanders that "as nearly as practicable, one man's vote in a congressional election it to be worth as much as another's." The effect of this ruling meant that the redistricting in Pennsylvania and many other states based on the 1960census was nullified and would need to be redone.
In regard to his opposition to reapportionment and possible shift his home town ofBirmingham and the rest of western Delaware County withChester County Watkins commented, "It just doesn't seem right to me that a portion ofDelaware County should be tacked onto some other county just to reach someone's idea of a magical figure." In January 1966, he testified to that effect before the state Senate reapportionment Committee and said that by 1970, Delaware County would have enough population to support two congressmen. In February, Watkins again attacked the pending redistricting plans:
If it is done now, large portions of Delaware County will be cut off from the balance of the county, attached to either Chester or Montgomery Counties and our people will be virtually without representation in Washington for at least the next four years. It will mean that Montgomery and Chester Counties will control those districts. It will mean that congressmen from those districts will not be working solely for Delaware County municipalities.
With the shift of Watkins' hometown of Birmingham to the new Ninth District, the Seventh District became an open seat, which would be filled that year by Springfield Republican leaderLawrence G. Williams. In the meantime, Watkins now represented a district where 56% of the residents resided in Chester County. In spite of the desire of some leaders that the district be represented by a Chester County resident, an accommodation was reached between the War Board and the leadership of the former, allowing Watkins to continue. He was easily re-elected in November, 1966, beating Democrat Louis F. Waldman, 81,516 to 48,656.
Watkins died inWest Chester, Pennsylvania, from a heart attack during a speaking engagement at the Penn Oaks Country Club.[3] He is interred at Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery inBirmingham Township, Pennsylvania.
Watkins was married to Hilda Jane Smerback and together they had two sons. He operated a 60-acre farm in Delaware County and bredthoroughbred horses. He was a member of the Pennsylvania andAmerican Trucking Associations.[3]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 7th congressional district 1965–1967 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 9th congressional district 1967–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Pennsylvania State Senate | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the9th District 1949–1960 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
