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John Rousselot | |
|---|---|
 Rousselot in 1973 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |
| In office June 30, 1970 – January 3, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Glenard P. Lipscomb |
| Succeeded by | Matthew G. Martínez (redistricting) |
| Constituency | 24th district (1970–75) 26th district (1975–83) |
| In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963 | |
| Preceded by | George A. Kasem |
| Succeeded by | Ronald B. Cameron |
| Constituency | 25th district |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Harbin Rousselot (1927-11-01)November 1, 1927 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Died | May 11, 2003(2003-05-11) (aged 75) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Principia College (1949)[1] |
John Harbin Rousselot (November 1, 1927 – May 11, 2003) was aU.S. Representative from southern California. Although the territory he represented was generally the same, in easternLos Angeles County, the district was renumbered several times during his congressional career.
Born in 1927 inLos Angeles,California, Rousselot attended the public schools ofSan Marino andSouth Pasadena. He received a B.A. fromPrincipia College,Elsah, Illinois, in 1949, and went to work as an insurance agent. During the 1950s he also was an author and public relations consultant.
From 1954 to 1955, Rousselot served as assistant to the public relations director of Pacific Finance Corp.,Los Angeles, California. He served as deputy to the chairman of theCalifornia Board of Equalization in 1956, and was director of public information for theFederal Housing Administration in Washington, D.C., from 1958 to 1960.
Rousselot resigned his position at the FHA to return to southern California to run for Congress. His first notable political activity had been as a delegate to the 1956 Republican National Convention, and he had served as a member of the executive committee of the California Republican State Central Committee in 1956–57.
Rousselot was elected as aRepublican to theEighty-seventh Congress (January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1963) fromCalifornia's 25th congressional district, defeating Democratic incumbentGeorge A. Kasem.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to theEighty-eighth Congress in 1962, losing to DemocratRonald B. Cameron.
During the next few years, Rousselot worked as a management consultant and as Western regional director for theultraconservativeJohn Birch Society. His longtime association with this group had stimulated controversy during his career as a Congressman. Two of his allies during this time were the ultraconservative, resignedGeneral Edwin Walker, and the segregationist ReverendBilly James Hargis.[2] All three were longtime members of theJohn Birch Society.
Rousselot was elected to theNinety-first Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofUnited States RepresentativeGlenard P. Lipscomb inCalifornia's 24th congressional district, and reelected to the six succeeding Congresses (June 30, 1970 – January 3, 1983).
In the Republican primary for the 1970 special election, he narrowly edged out former congressmanPatrick Hillings and former football star and doctorBill McColl.
In the special general election he handily defeated DemocratMyrlie Evers, the widow of assassinated civil rights activistMedgar Evers.
The district still was numbered the 24th when he won full terms in 1970 and 1972, but a 1973 redistricting ordered by theCalifornia Supreme Court renumbered it the 26th.
Rousselot was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1982 after a partisan redistricting divided his old congressional district, leading him to run in the 30th District represented by DemocratMatthew Martinez, who won the general election by 54% to 46%.
Rousselot served as special assistant to PresidentRonald Reagan in 1983, and as president of the National Council of Savings Institutions, a lobbying group, from 1985 to 1988.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination to the One Hundred Third Congress in 1992 in the newly redrawn 25th Congressional District, which ultimately was won by RepublicanHoward McKeon.
Rousselot died of heart failure inIrvine, California, in 2003.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 25th congressional district 1961–1963 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 24th congressional district 1970–1975 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 26th congressional district 1975–1983 | Succeeded by |
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.
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