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Gerrit J. Diekema | |
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| Ambassador of the United States to the Netherlands | |
| In office November 20, 1929 – December 20, 1930 | |
| Preceded by | Richard M. Tobin |
| Succeeded by | Laurits S. Swenson |
| Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party | |
| In office 1927–1929 | |
| Preceded by | Kennedy L. Potter |
| Succeeded by | Howard C. Lawrence |
| In office 1900–1910 | |
| Preceded by | Arthur Marsh |
| Succeeded by | W.F. Knox |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's5th district | |
| In office May 15, 1907 – March 3, 1911 | |
| Preceded by | William Alden Smith |
| Succeeded by | Edwin F. Sweet |
| 31stSpeaker of the Michigan House of Representatives | |
| In office 1889–1889 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel P. Markey |
| Succeeded by | Philip B. Wachtel |
| Member of theMichigan House of Representatives from theOttawa County 1st district | |
| In office 1885–1892 | |
| Preceded by | John B. Perham |
| Succeeded by | Charles K. Hoyt and John W. Norrington (Ottawa County) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerrit John Diekema (1859-03-27)March 27, 1859 Holland, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | December 20, 1930(1930-12-20) (aged 71) |
| Resting place | Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Gerrit John Diekema (March 27, 1859 – December 20, 1930) was a politician from theU.S. state ofMichigan.
Diekema was born inHolland, Michigan, where he attended the common schools and graduated fromHope College in 1881. In 1883, he graduated from the law department of theUniversity of Michigan atAnn Arbor, wasadmitted to thebar, and commenced practice in Holland.
Diekema became a city attorney and a member of theMichigan State House of Representatives serving from 1885 to 1891 from Ottawa County 1st District, serving as speaker from 1889 to 1890. He becamemayor of Holland in 1895 and chairman of theMichigan Republican Party ten consecutive years from 1900 to 1910. He was a delegate to the1896 Republican National Convention and a member of theSpanish Treaty Claims Commission from 1901 until he resigned in May 1907.
He was elected April 27, 1907, as aRepublican fromMichigan's 5th congressional district to theSixtieth Congress, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofWilliam Alden Smith. He was subsequently re-elected to theSixty-first Congress, serving from May 15, 1907,[1] to March 3, 1911. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1910 to the Sixty-second Congress and resumed the practice of law in Holland, Michigan.
He became manager of the Republican Speakers’ Bureau inChicago in 1912 and a candidate in the primary forGovernor of Michigan in 1916. He was a delegate to the1924 Republican National Convention from Michigan. After seventeen years he was re-elected chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, serving from 1927 to 1929, a record total of twelve years.
Diekema was appointedUnited States Minister to the Netherlands by PresidentHerbert Hoover on August 20, 1929, and served until December 1930.[2]
On December 20, 1930, Diekema died inThe Hague,Netherlands. Diekema was interred in Pilgrim Home Cemetery, Holland, Michigan.[2]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party 1900 – 1910 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Kennedy L. Potter | Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party 1927 – 1929 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMichigan's 5th congressional district April 27, 1907 – March 3, 1911 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands 1929–1930 | Succeeded by |
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