Dellenback, John R., 1918-2002

John Richard Dellenback (1918-2002) served in the Oregon State Legislature, and as a Republican from Oregon in the U.S. Congress.

Born in Chicago, Illinois on November 6, 1918, Dellenback graduated from Yale University. After serving in the United States Navy during World War II (1942-1946), he attended Northwestern University School of Speech, 1946 and 1949. Dellenback received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1949 and began teaching law at Oregon State College that same year.

Dellenback served as a delegate at the Republication National Conventions in 1964, 1968, and 1972. In 1960, he was elected to the Oregon State Legislature, and in 1966 was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Oregon's 4th Congressional District. He wrote legislation to establish the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, worked to pass a bill that made pipeline permit-holders and shippers liable for oil spills, and supported federal Title IX legislation for equal opportunity for boys and girls in athletics.

Dellenback served four terms in the House and was defeated in the 1974 elections by Democrat Jim Weaver. Dellenback's defeat is largely attributed to the anti-Republican mood of the electorate in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

After leaving Congress, Dellenback was appointed by President Gerald Ford as associate director of the Peace Corps, where he served from 1975 to 1977. From 1977 to 1988, Dellenback was president of the Christian College Coalition (now called the Coalition for Christian Colleges & Universities).

Dellenbeck died on December 7, 2002, in Medford, Oregon.

Souce: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

From the guide to the John Dellenback papers, 1964-2000, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)