John Lesinski, Jr.

John Lesinski, Jr.

John Lesinski, Jr. (December 28, 1914 – October 21, 2005) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was the son of John Lesinski, Sr. He was of Polish descent.

Life and career

Lesinski was born in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of eleven years, he moved with his parents to Dearborn. He attended parochial schools, SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, and graduated from Fordson High School in Dearborn. At the age of eighteen years, he enlisted in the United States Navy as an apprentice seaman and served, 1933–1937. He was called to active duty again in February 1941 and served until October 1945 and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. He was vice president of Hamtramck Lumber Company, 1939–1943 and 1951–1954, as well as president of Dearborn Properties.

Lesinski's father, John Lesinski, Sr., died in May 1950, leaving his seat in Congress vacant. In November 1950. Lesinski was elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 16th congressional district to the 82nd United States Congress and to the six succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1951 to January 3, 1965. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination to the 89th Congress in 1964, losing to fellow Democrat John Dingell. Lesinski was one of the few northern Democrats to oppose the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Dingell was the incumbent U.S. Representative from Michigan's 15th congressional district, but portions of the 16th and the 15th districts were combined into a redrawn 16th district for the 1964 elections.

He was a member of the board of commissioners of Wayne County, 1968-1973.

Lesinski died in Dearborn, Michigan.

References

• John Lesinski, Jr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• The Political Graveyard
• Remarks by John Dingell Jr. on the death of John Lesinski Jr.

Further reading

• Adams, Harreld S. (December 1966). "The Dingell-Lesinski 1964 Primary Race". Western Political Quarterly (University of Utah) 19 (4): 688–96. doi:10.2307/445144. JSTOR 445144. 

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan Territory Woodbridge Sibley Richard Wing Biddle Wing Lyon Jones At-large Crary J. Howard Kelley Staebler 1st district McClelland Buel Penniman D. Stuart W. Howard Cooper W. Howard Granger Beaman Waldron Field A. S. Williams Newberry Lord Maybury J. L. Chipman Griffin Corliss Lucking Denby Doremus Codd Clancy Sosnowski Clancy Sadowski Tenerowicz Sadowski Machrowicz Nedzi Conyers Stupak Benishek 2nd district Lyon J. S. Chipman E. Bradley C. Stuart Sprague C. Stuart Noble Waldron Beaman Upson Stoughton Waldron Willits Eldredge Allen Gorman Spalding H. Smith Townsend Wedemeyer Beakes Bacon Beakes Michener Lehr Michener Meader Vivian Esch Pursell Hoekstra Huizenga 3rd district Hunt Bingham J. Conger Clark Walbridge Kellogg Longyear Blair Willard McGowan Lacey O'Donnell Burrows Milnes A. Todd Gardner J. Smith Frankhauser J. Smith A. B. Williams Hooper Kimball Main Shafer Johansen P. Todd G. Brown Wolpe Henry Ehlers Amash 4th district Stevens Peck Leach Trowbridge Kellogg Ferry Foster Burrows Potter Keightley Burrows Yaple Burrows Thomas Hamilton Ketcham Foulkes Hoffman Hutchinson Stockman Siljander Upton Camp Moolenaar 5th district Baldwin Trowbridge O. Conger Foster W. Williams Stone Webber Houseman Comstock M. Ford Belknap M. Ford Belknap Richardson W. Smith Diekema Sweet Mapes Jonkman G. Ford Vander Veen Sawyer Henry Barcia D. E. Kildee D. T. Kildee 6th district Driggs Strickland Sutherland Begole Durand Brewer Spaulding Winans Brewer Stout Aitken S. Smith Kelley Hudson Person Cady Blackney Transue Blackney Clardy Hayworth Chamberlain Carr Dunn Carr Upton 7th district O. Conger Rich Carleton Whiting Snover Weeks McMorran Cramton Wolcott McIntosh O'Hara Mackie Riegle D. E. Kildee N. Smith Schwarz Walberg Schauer Walberg 8th district N. Bradley Ellsworth Horr Tarsney Bliss Youmans Linton Brucker Fordney Vincent Hart Crawford Bentley Harvey Traxler Carr Chrysler Stabenow Rogers M. Bishop 9th district Hubbell Cutcheon H. Wheeler Moon R. Bishop McLaughlin Harry W. Musselwhite Engel Thompson Griffin Vander Jagt D. E. Kildee Knollenberg Peters Levin 10th district Hatch Fisher F. Wheeler Weadock Crump Aplin Loud Woodruff Loud Currie Woodruff Cederberg Albosta Schuette Camp Bonior Miller 11th district Breitung Moffatt Seymour Stephenson Avery Mesick Darragh Dodds Lindquist Scott Bohn P. Brown Luecke F. Bradley Potter Knox Clevenger Ruppe Davis Knollenberg McCotter Curson Bentivolio Trott 12th district Stephenson Shelden Young MacDonald James Hook Bennett Hook Bennett O'Hara Bonior Levin J. Dingell, Jr. D. Dingell 13th district Nichols McLeod Brennan McLeod O'Brien McLeod O'Brien Coffin O'Brien Diggs Crockett Collins W. Ford Rivers Kilpatrick Clarke Conyers 14th district Weideman Rabaut Youngblood Rabaut Ryan Nedzi Hertel Conyers Peters Lawrence 15th district J. Dingell, Sr. J. Dingell, Jr. W. Ford Collins Kilpatrick J. Dingell, Jr. 16th district Lesinski, Sr. Lesinski, Jr. J. Dingell, Jr. 17th district Dondero Oakman Griffiths Brodhead Levin 18th district Dondero Broomfield Huber Blanchard Broomfield 19th district Farnum McDonald Broomfield