Harold Himmel Velde (April 1, 1910 – September 1, 1985) was a Republican

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from Illinois. While

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for

Illinois's 18th congressional district The 18th congressional district of Illinois covered central and western Illinois, including all of Jacksonville and Quincy and parts of Bloomington, Peoria, and Springfield. It was last represented by Republican Darin LaHood, who took of ...

he was chairman of the

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between 1953 and 1955.

Background

Velde was born on a farm near Parkland,

Tazewell County, Illinois Tazewell County () is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 135,394. Its county seat and largest city is Pekin. It is pronounced with a short "a", to rhyme with "razz" rather than "raze ...

. After attending rural grade and high school, he attended

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. Th ...

from 1927 to 1929, then graduated from

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in 1931 and from University of Illinois Law School in 1937.

Career

Velde was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

as a lawyer, taking up practice in

Pekin, Illinois Pekin () is a city in and the county seat of Tazewell County, Illinois, Tazewell County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is the largest city of Tazewell County and the second most populous municipality of the Pe ...

. Velde served as a

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in the

United States Army Signal Corps The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army that creates and manages communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860, the brainchild of Ma ...

in 1942 until becoming a special agent for the FBI's sabotage and counterespionage division in 1943, staying there until 1946. In 1946, he was then elected judge for

and remained judge until 1949. In 1948, Velde won election to 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, taking his seat on January 3, 1949. In the

83rd United States Congress The 83rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States in Washington, D.C. from January 3, 1953, until January 3, 1955, during the last two weeks of the Truman administration, wi ...

, he became chairman of the

after the previous chairman,

J. Parnell Thomas John Parnell Thomas (January 16, 1895 – November 19, 1970) was a stockbroker and politician. He was elected to seven terms as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey as a Republican. He was later a convicted criminal who served nine months in f ...

of New Jersey, went to prison for taking kickbacks. Velde did not run in 1956, and ended his four terms in Congress on January 3, 1957. After Congress, Velde returned to practicing law: He was a lawyer in

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...

and Washington, D.C. until May 5, 1969. He became a regional

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for the

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in Lansing, Illinois in 1969.

Personal and death

In 1974, he retired to

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, where he died on September 1, 1985. His ashes were interred in Pekin, Illinois, at Lakeside Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Velde, Harold H. 1910 births 1985 deaths People from Tazewell County, Illinois Northwestern University alumni University of Illinois College of Law alumni American people of Dutch descent Federal Bureau of Investigation agents United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II Military personnel from Illinois Illinois lawyers Illinois state court judges Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois Arizona Republicans 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians People from Sun City, Arizona People from Pekin, Illinois 20th-century American judges American anti-communists

Background

Career

Personal and death

See also

References

External links