John Dempsey Hoblitzell Jr. (December 30, 1912 – January 6, 1962) was an American politician from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. He was a member of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. Hoblitzell was born in

Parkersburg, West Virginia Parkersburg is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, West Virginia, Wood County, West Virginia. Located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Little Kanawha River, Little Kanawha rivers, it is the state's fourth-largest city and ...

. He graduated from the

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...

in 1934. He was involved in insurance, real estate, construction, and banking businesses. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the United States Naval Reserve, retiring as a lieutenant. Hoblitzell was active in community service and civic affairs, serving as the first president of The West Virginia

Junior Chamber of Commerce The United States Junior Chamber, also known as the Jaycees, JCs or JCI USA, is a leadership training, service organization and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40. It is a branch of Junior Chamber International (JCI). ...

(1939–1940). He also served in several positions in education, including as a member board of governors of West Virginia University (1937–1944), a member of Wood County School Board (1950–1956), a delegate to White House Conference on Education (1954), president of the West Virginia School Board Association (1954), and a member of the National Citizens Committee on Higher Education (1955). In addition, he was chairman of the Governor's West Virginia Commission on State and Local Finance (1954). In 1956 Hoblitzell was an unsuccessful in a bid for the Republican nomination to the House of Representatives. He was appointed on January 25, 1958, to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the death of

Matthew M. Neely Matthew Mansfield Neely (November 9, 1874January 18, 1958) was an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician from West Virginia. He is the only West Virginian to serve in both houses of the United States Congress and as the ...

and served until November 4, 1958. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the vacancy. After leaving the Senate, he resumed his business interests. He died, of a heart attack, in

Clarksburg, West Virginia Clarksburg is a city in and the county seat of Harrison County, West Virginia, United States, in the north-central region of the state. The population of the city was 16,039 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Clarksburg micro ...

, in 1962 and was interred in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Parkersburg, West Virginia.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoblitzell, John D. Jr. 1912 births 1962 deaths Businesspeople from West Virginia Politicians from Parkersburg, West Virginia Republican Party United States senators from West Virginia School board members in West Virginia West Virginia Republicans West Virginia University alumni 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American politicians