DeWitt Stephen Hyde (March 21, 1909 – April 25, 1986) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
for
Maryland's 6th congressional district
Maryland's 6th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives from the northwest part of the state. The district comprises all of Garrett, Allegany, Frederick, and Washington counties as well as a p ...
from 1953 to 1959.
Early life and education
Born in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, Hyde attended the public schools as a youth. He went on to
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
, where he received his
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
in 1935.
Career
Hyde was admitted to the
District of Columbia Bar
The District of Columbia Bar (DCB) is the mandatory bar association of the District of Columbia. It administers the admissions, licensing, and discipline functions for lawyers licensed to practice in the District.
It is to be distinguished from ...
the same year he graduated and commenced the practice of law in Washington, D.C. He worked with the
Farm Credit Administration
The Farm Credit Administration is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States. Its function is to regulate the financial institutions that provide credit to farmers.
Authority
The Farm Credit Administration is an indepen ...
for three years before moving to Maryland in 1938, where he continued law work.
Military service
In March 1943, during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Hyde entered the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
as a
lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies.
United States
Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...
. He served in the
South Pacific, and was separated from the service as a
lieutenant commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...
in May 1946. After the war, he served as an instructor of law at
Benjamin Franklin University in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951.
Political career
Hyde began his political career with service in the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
from 1947 to 1950. He was later a member of the
Maryland Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. Composed of 47 senators elected from an equal number of constituent single- ...
in 1951 and 1952. In 1952, Hyde was elected as a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
to the Eighty-third, Eighty-fourth, and Eighty-fifth Congresses, where he served from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1959.
Hyde did not sign the 1956
Southern Manifesto
The Declaration of Constitutional Principles (known informally as the Southern Manifesto) was a document written in February and March 1956, during the 84th United States Congress, in opposition to racial integration of public places. The manife ...
and voted in favor of the
Civil Rights Act of 1957
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first federal civil rights legislation passed by the United States Congress since the Civil Rights Act of 1875. The bill was passed by the 85th United States Congress and signed into law by President Dwigh ...
.
He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1958 to the Eighty-sixth Congress, and returned to the practice of law. In 1959, he was appointed as an associate judge of the District of Columbia Court of General Sessions, which became the
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commonly referred to as DC Superior Court, is the trial court for the District of Columbia, in the United States. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law, as well as family court, landlor ...
in 1971. Hyde served until 1979, when he retired.
[Report of District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission](_blank)
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Personal life
He was a resident of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
, where he died in 1986. he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is one of two national cemeteries run by the United States Army. Nearly 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington, Virginia. There are about 30 funerals conducted on weekdays and 7 held on Sa ...
.
References
External links
ANC Explorer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyde, Dewitt Stephen
1909 births
1986 deaths
20th-century American judges
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
American Lutherans
United States Navy personnel of World War II
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
George Washington University Law School alumni
Judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Lawyers from Washington, D.C.
Republican Party Maryland state senators
Republican Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
Military personnel from Maryland
Politicians from Washington, D.C.
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland
United States Navy officers