John Zuinglius Anderson (March 22, 1904 – February 9, 1981) was an American farmer and politician who served seven terms as a

U.S. Representative 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 c ...

from

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

from 1939 to 1953.

Early life and career

Born in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

, Anderson moved with his parents to

Santa Cruz, California Santa Cruz ( Spanish for "Holy Cross") is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, in Northern California. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 62,956. Situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz is a po ...

, the same year, and to

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

, in 1913, attended the public schools. He was graduated from San Jose High School in 1923. He moved to

San Juan Bautista, California San Juan Bautista (Spanish for " Saint John the Baptist") is a city in San Benito County, in the U.S. state of California. The population was 2,089 as of the 2020 census. San Juan Bautista was founded in 1797 by the Spanish under Fermín de Las ...

, in 1925 and engaged in agricultural pursuits and fruit growing.

Congress

Anderson 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 Seventy-sixth and to the six succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1953). He was a strong supporter of forcing Japanese-American citizens from the Pacific Coast states during World War II, stating in 1945: "As a member of the California congressional delegation I have consistently opposed the return of the Japanese-Americans to the Pacific coast while the war against Japan in the Pacific is in progress. I was one of those who as early as Dec. 8, 1941, advocated the immediate removal of all persons of Japanese descent from restricted and prohibited areas in California, Oregon and Washington." He was not a candidate for renomination in 1952.

Career after Congress

He served as member of board of directors of Bank of America. He served as president of California Canning Pear Association and Pacific States Canning Pear Association. With Department of Agriculture in 1954 and 1955. Administrative assistant to President Eisenhower from December 15, 1956, to January 20, 1961. He served as member of staff of Veterans' Affairs Committee, House of Representatives until June 30, 1962. He retired.

Death

He retired to

Hollister, California Hollister is a city in and the county seat of San Benito County, located in the Central Coast region of California. With a 2020 United States census population of 41,678, Hollister is one of the largest cities in the Monterey Bay Area and a ...

, where he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound February 9, 1981. Cremated. Ashes scattered at the top of Sonora Pass, Sierra Nevada Mountains.

References

External links

Records and Papers of Jack Z. Anderson, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, John Zuinglius 1904 births 1981 deaths American politicians who committed suicide Suicides by firearm in California Eisenhower administration personnel San Francisco Bay Area politicians Politicians from Oakland, California Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California 20th-century American politicians People from Hollister, California People from San Juan Bautista, California 1981 suicides