Jim Olin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's6th district | |
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | M. Caldwell Butler |
| Succeeded by | Bob Goodlatte |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Randolph Olin February 28, 1920 |
| Died | July 29, 2006(2006-07-29) (aged 86) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Phyllis Avery |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Deep Springs College Cornell University (BEng) |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Unit | Signal Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
James Randolph Olin (February 28, 1920 – July 29, 2006) was an American politician from theU.S. state ofVirginia. From 1983 to 1993, Olin, aDemocrat, served in theUnited States House of Representatives forVirginia's 6th congressional district.
Olin was born inChicago,Illinois, the grandson ofSwedish immigrants, and raised inKenilworth, Illinois.[1][2] He attendedDeep Springs College, before moving on toCornell University, from which he earned anelectrical engineering degree in 1943. Then, until 1946, Olin served in theSignal Corps of theUnited States Army.[3]
Olin, aDemocrat, made his first bid for political office in 1953, when he becameRotterdam, New York supervisor and served on theSchenectady County board of supervisors. For 35 years until retiring in January 1982, Olin worked inGeneral Electric (GE) as corporate vice president and general manager of industrial electronics.[3] Over the years, Olin's job at GE took him to Schenectady,Erie, Pennsylvania, andSalem, Virginia.[4]
In 1982, Olin was elected to represent the6th district of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first Democrat to hold this seat since 1953. The 6th, stretching from Roanoke through theShenandoah Valley, had been one of the first areas of Virginia to turn Republican. The district's six-term Republican incumbent,M. Caldwell Butler, hadn't even faced major-party opposition since 1974. However, Olin won a narrow victory.
Over the next two years, Olin worked this vast district well, and held onto his seat in 1984 even asRonald Reagan carried the district in a landslide. He would never face another close race again, easily defeating Republican challengers in 1986 and 1988 and only facing an independent in 1990.
While in the House, Olin was considered to be a moderate member of the state's delegation. In 1990, he was one of the only three Democrats in the House to vote againstAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[5] That same year, he clashed with PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush over his budget proposals. As a member of theUnited States House Committee on Agriculture, Olin advocated reducing milk price subsidies. In 1991, he opposed thePersian Gulf War.[4]
Olin did not run for a sixth term in 1992. That same year he received an honoraryLLD fromWashington and Lee University. His preferred choice to replace him as the Democratic nominee lost at the district convention to Stephen Musselwhite, who was then handily defeated by RepublicanBob Goodlatte, a former aide to Butler. Proving just how Republican this district was, no Democrat has crossed the 40 percent mark in the district since Olin left office.
He died at age 86 inCharlottesville, Virginia.
Olin married Phyllis Olin and had five children with her: Richard, Thomas, Kathy (Milliken), James, and Trina (Santry). The Olin family settled inRoanoke, Virginia in 1968 and relocated toCharlottesville, Virginia in 2003. Jim and Phyllis Olin had eleven grandchildren: Jennifer Milliken Bartlett, Marc Dentico-Olin, Scott Milliken, Julia Milliken, John Olin, Chad Olin, Christine Milliken, Hannah Olin, Arthur Santry IV, Alexa Santry, and Richard Santry. They also had two great-grandsons: Aidan Bartlett and Nathan Bartlett as of 2012.[2][4]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 6th congressional district 1983–1993 | Succeeded by |
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