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 for Maryland's 6th congressional district from 1953 to 1959.

Early life and education

Born in Washington, D.C., Hyde attended the public schools as a youth. He went on to George Washington University, 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 same year he graduated and commenced the practice of law in Washington, D.C. He worked with the Farm Credit Administration for three years before moving to Maryland in 1938, where he continued law work.

Military service

In March 1943, during World War II, Hyde entered the United States Navy 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 The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

, and was separated from the service as a lieutenant commander in May 1946. After the war, he served as an instructor of law at

Benjamin Franklin University ''Note of duplicate name: Benjamin Franklin University, located in Annandale, Virginia, was open from 1995 to 1999 but had its name revoked by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Benjamin Franklin University was founded in Washing ...

in Washington, D.C. from 1946 to 1951.

Political career

Hyde began his political career with service in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1947 to 1950. He was later a member of the Maryland Senate in 1951 and 1952. In 1952, Hyde was elected as a Republican 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 in 1971. Hyde served until 1979, when he retired.Report of District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission
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Personal life

He was a resident of Bethesda, Maryland, where he died in 1986. he was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

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