Samuel L. Devine

Samuel Leeper Devine (December 21, 1915 – June 27, 1997) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served in the United States House of Representatives as Representative of the 12th congressional district of Ohio from January 3, 1959 until January 3, 1981; he left office after being defeated by Democrat Bob Shamansky, who lost the seat after a single term to Republican John Kasich. During the 96th Congress, he was the Chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Samuel L. Devine
Chair of the House Republican Conference
In office
June 20, 1979 – January 3, 1981[1]
LeaderJohn Rhodes
Preceded byJohn B. Anderson
Succeeded byJack Kemp
Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference
In office
September 16, 1971 – June 20, 1979
LeaderJohn Rhodes
Preceded byRobert Stafford
Succeeded byJack Edwards
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 12th district
In office
January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1981
Preceded byJohn Vorys
Succeeded byBob Shamansky
Personal details
Born
Samuel Leeper Devine

(1915-12-21)December 21, 1915
South Bend, Indiana, U.S.
DiedJune 27, 1997(1997-06-27) (aged 81)
Upper Arlington, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
ChildrenCarol Devine Miller
Alma materOhio State University (BA)
University of Notre Dame (LLB)
Signature

Early life

Samuel L. Devine was born in South Bend, Indiana, on December 21, 1915 and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1920. He attended Upper Arlington High School. Devine attended Colgate University from 1933 to 1934 and the Ohio State University from 1934 to 1937. After graduating from OSU, Devine went to law school at the University of Notre Dame and received an LL.B. and J.D. in 1940.

Career

Devine was admitted to the bar in 1940 and began private legal practice in Columbus, but in 1940 was appointed a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He resigned from the Bureau in October 1945 and resumed private practice in Columbus.

Devine embarked on a political career in 1950 and was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served from 1951 to 1955. Devine was chairman of the Ohio Un-American Activities Committee, a joint committee of the Ohio House and the Senate modelled on the federal House Un-American Activities Committee. This committee, given extensive powers of interrogation, declared in 1952 that approximately 1,300 Ohioans were members of the Communist Party. At Devine's urging, the state legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of a bill to impose prison terms and fines on Communists.

Devine served as Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County, Ohio, from 1955 until 1958, when he was elected to the United States Congress.

Devine was also a college football official for 27 years.

Death and legacy

He died on June 27, 1997 from cancer in Upper Arlington, Ohio.[2]

His daughter, Carol Miller, is a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, where she served as majority whip.[3] In 2018, Miller was elected to Congress from West Virginia's 3rd congressional district over Democrat Richard Ojeda in one of the most-watched races in the country.[4][5]

References
  1. G.O.P. in House Gives No. 3 Job To Rep. Devine New York Times June 21, 1979. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  2. "SAMUEL L. DEVINE DIES AT 81". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  3. Miller announces bid for US House 3rd District Herald-Dispatch July 21, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  4. Derysh, Igor (October 13, 2018). "Could Democrats flip a West Virginia district Trump won by 49 points?". Slate.
  5. WSAZ News Staff (November 7, 2018). "Carol Miller wins U.S. House seat in W.Va. District 3". WSAV-TV.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
John Vorys		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 12th congressional district
1959–1981		 Succeeded by
Bob Shamansky
Party political offices
Preceded by
Robert Stafford		 Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference
1971–1979		 Succeeded by
Jack Edwards
Preceded by
John B. Anderson		 Chair of the House Republican Conference
1979–1981		 Succeeded by
Jack Kemp
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