Joseph M. Gaydos
Joseph M. Gaydos | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 20th district | |
In office November 5, 1968 – January 3, 1993 | |
Preceded by | Elmer Holland |
Succeeded by | Austin Murphy |
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 45th district | |
In office January 2, 1967 – November 5, 1968[1] | |
Preceded by | Leonard Staisey |
Succeeded by | Edward Zemprelli |
Personal details | |
Born | Joseph Matthew Gaydos July 3, 1926 Braddock, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Died | February 7, 2015 Elizabeth Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, U.S. | (aged 88)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Alice Ann Gaydos (née Gray; died March 19, 2001) |
Joseph Matthew Gaydos (July 3, 1926 – February 7, 2015) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Gaydos was the first Slovak American to serve in the United States Congress.[2]
Gaydos was born in Braddock, Pennsylvania. His Hungarian father was born in Northern Hungary which today is Slovakia after it was annexed by Czechoslovakia following World War I and the Treaty of Trianon.[3]
He attended Duquesne University and graduated from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1951. He served during World War II in the Pacific theater with the United States Navy Reserve, 1944–1946. He served in the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1967 to 1968.[4] He served as Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Assistant Solicitor of Allegheny County, and general counsel to United Mine Workers of America, district five. [citation needed]
He was elected simultaneously as a Democrat to the 90th and to the 91st Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative Elmer Holland. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1992. He died on February 7, 2015, aged 88.[5][6]
References
- ^ Cox, Harold (2004). "Pennsylvania Senate - 1967-1968" (PDF). Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- ^ Fedor, Helen. "The Slovaks in America". loc.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
- ^ Cultural Contributions of Americans with Roots in Slovakia, svu2000.org; accessed March 2, 2015.
- ^ Cox, Harold. "Senate Members "G"". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- ^ Obituary-Joseph M. Gaydos, legacy.com; accessed March 1, 2015.
- ^ Natasha Lindstrom (February 9, 2015). "Legislator's history turned focus to workers' rights". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved February 17, 2015.
Sources
- United States Congress. "Joseph M. Gaydos (id: G000105)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.; retrieved March 1, 2015
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 1926 births
- 2015 deaths
- American military personnel of World War II
- American people of Hungarian descent
- American people of Slovak descent
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Duquesne University alumni
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
- Military personnel from Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Democrats
- Pennsylvania lawyers
- Pennsylvania state senators
- People from Braddock, Pennsylvania
- Politicians from Pittsburgh
- United Mine Workers
- University of Notre Dame alumni
- 20th-century American politicians