John Duncan, Sr.

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For other usages of the name John Duncan, see John Duncan (disambiguation).

John James Duncan, Sr. (March 14, 1919 – June 21, 1988) was a Tennessee attorney and Republican politician who was elected to 12 terms in the United States House of Representatives.

Duncan was born in Scott County, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science and served in World War II in the United States Army from 1942 to 1945. He received a law degree from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1947, and became an assistant attorney general, a position he held until 1956. In that year he became a law director, serving in that capacity until being elected mayor of Knoxville in 1959. He later served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1960, 1964, and 1980.

Duncan served as mayor of Knoxville until 1965. In 1964, he won a hard-fought Republican primary election in the Knoxville-based Second Congressional District. His popularity as mayor of Knoxville and the heavy Republican tilt of the district (Republicans have continuously represented this district since 1857) ensured that his victory in the general election was a foregone conclusion. A popular conservative, he was reelected 11 times, seldom facing a well-organized or well-funded challenge, and served until his death. He was succeeded by his son, Jimmy.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.