Early life
Born near Tell City, Indiana, Hoeppel attended grammar school in Evansville, Indiana but did not attend high school. He enlisted in the United States Army on July 27, 1898, and served successively as private, corporal, and sergeant until 1921, with service in France during the First World War. Hoeppel moved to Arcadia, California in 1919. He was the postmaster of Arcadia from 1923 to 1931. In 1928, he became editor of ''National Defense'' magazine.Political career
Hoeppel was elected as a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to the 73rd United States Congress, Seventy-third and to the 74th United States Congress, Seventy-fourth Congresses (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1937). He served as chairman of the Committee on War Claims (Seventy-fourth Congress). In 1933 he was instrumental in persuading the U.S. Army to donate 183 acres of land from the Ross Field (airfield), Ross Field Army Balloon School to Los Angeles County to be developed as a park. He was accused in 1934 of conspiracy to sell an appointment to the West Point Military Academy for $1,000. He was found guilty by the U.S. Senate and removed from office. He was then found guilty in US Courts and sentenced to four to twelve months in prison. His son Charles J. Hoeppel, who was seeking appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy as part of the deal, was also convicted. Their appeal in 1936 was unsuccessful. Hoeppel was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1936 to the 75th United States Congress, Seventy-fifth Congress, afterwards resuming his editorial career. He was an unsuccessful Prohibition Party, Prohibition candidate for California's 12th congressional district election, 1946, election in 1946 to the 80th United States Congress, Eightieth Congress, losing to future U.S. President Richard Nixon.Death
Hoeppel died in Arcadia on September 21, 1976, and is buried in Resurrection Cemetery, San Gabriel, California.See also
*List of American federal politicians convicted of crimes *List of federal political scandals in the United States *List of members of the American LegionReferences
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoeppel, John Henry 1881 births 1976 deaths 20th-century American politicians Activists from California American politicians convicted of federal public corruption crimes California politicians convicted of crimes California Prohibitionists Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California Expelled members of the United States House of Representatives People from Arcadia, California People from Tell City, Indiana Politicians from Evansville, Indiana United States Army soldiers