Don Edwards

Don Edwards
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 16th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Leon Panetta
Succeeded by	Zoe Lofgren
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 10th district
In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Charles S. Gubser
Succeeded by	William P. Baker
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 9th district
In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1975
Preceded by	J. Arthur Younger
Succeeded by	Pete Stark
Personal details
Born	William Donlon Edwards (1915-01-06) January 6, 1915 San Jose, California
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Edith Wilkie Edwards (1981–2011; her death)
Alma mater	Stanford University Stanford Law School
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Navy
Battles/wars	World War II

William Donlon "Don" Edwards (born January 6, 1915) is an American politician of the Democratic Party, formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives from California.

Biography

Born in San Jose, California, he attended the public schools in the city, graduating from San Jose High Academy, before earning a B.A. from Stanford University in 1936, where he was member of the Stanford golf team. Edwards then attended Stanford Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1940. Edwards was a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1940 to 1941, when he joined the United States Navy as a naval intelligence and gunnery officer during World War II. He was the president of Valley Title Company of Santa Clara County from 1951 to 1975, and a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1964 and 1968.

Edwards was elected as a Democrat to the 88th from the 10th Congressional District (later redistricted to the 16th Congressional District) and to the fifteen succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1963–January 3, 1995). He was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1988 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against Alcee Hastings, judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and again in 1989 to conduct the impeachment proceedings against Walter Nixon, judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. Edwards was the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights for 23 years. He was not a candidate for reelection to the 104th Congress.

Don Edwards was married to Edith Wilkie Edwards until her death.

Honor

The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in the south end of San Francisco Bay is named in his honor.

See also

• Don Edwards Congressional Papers

External links

• Don Edwards at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• American Bar Association Human Rights Magazine biography
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
• Spartacus Educational Biography