Don Pease

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Donald J. (Don) Pease (September 26, 1932–July 28, 2002) served eight terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio's 13th District, an area in northeast Ohio. He was a Democrat.

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[edit] Education and early life

Pease was born in Toledo, Ohio. He attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, supporting himself through college by working summers as a laborer at a Toledo oil refinery. Pease was president of the student body, edited the student newspaper (The Post) and was a student reporter for the Athens Messenger. He graduated from Ohio University with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism in 1953. He earned a Master's Degree in government from Ohio University in 1955 and completed graduate work as a Fulbright Scholar in England.

After serving two years in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957, Pease moved to Oberlin, Ohio. Pease became editor and co-publisher of the weekly local newspaper, Oberlin News-Tribune. He was a member of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE), winning ISWNE's Golden Quill Award for editorial writing in 1962 and serving as president of the Society in 1965.

[edit] Political career

Pease's political career began with his election to the Oberlin City Council in 1961. He served in the Ohio Senate from 1965 to 1967. Redistricting contributed to his defeat in the 1966 election[citation needed], but in 1968 he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 1969 to 1975. In 1974, he was again elected to the Ohio Senate, where he served from 1975 to 1977.

Early in his career, Pease established a reputation for honesty and integrity, which he maintained throughout his political career. Pease was a member of the Democratic Party and was regarded as a liberal (supporting workers' rights, emphasizing education, and other liberal causes), but he was well respected as a reasonable and ethical individual, even by his conservative colleagues, who saw him as a "straight arrow."

In 1976, Pease was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (95th Congress). He served eight terms in Congress, easily winning all eight elections in the heavily Democratic Ohio 13th district.

[edit] Later life

Pease decided not run for re-election in 1992. After leaving Congress, he taught as Visiting Distinguished Professor of Politics at Oberlin College and was also appointed by President Clinton to the Amtrak Board of Directors, where he served five years.

Pease married Jeanne Camille Wendt August 29, 1953. One daughter, Jennifer, was born August 30, 1964.

Pease died in Oberlin, Ohio, July 28, 2002.

[edit] External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Charles Adams Mosher		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 13th congressional district
1977–1993		 Succeeded by
Sherrod Brown