John Matthew Zwach Sr. (February 8, 1907 – November 11, 1990) is an American farmer, rural school teacher, and politician. Zwach was most notably 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

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. He also served for several terms in the Minnesota legislature.

Biography

Zwach was born in Gales Township,

Redwood County, Minnesota Redwood County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census the population was 15,425. Its county seat is Redwood Falls, along the Redwood River near its confluence with the Minnesota River. The Lower Sioux Indian Reserva ...

, the son of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n immigrants. He attended the public schools and graduated from Milroy High School in 1926. He then received a teaching certificate from Mankato State College (now

Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU, MSU, or Minnesota State) is a public university in Mankato, Minnesota, United States. It is Minnesota's second-largest university and has over 123,000 living alumni worldwide. Founded in 1868, it is ...

) in 1927 and graduated from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

in 1933. He worked as a school teacher and superintendent for fourteen years and was also an active farmer. Zwach served in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...

from 1934 to 1946. He was a member of the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are h ...

from 1946 to 1966 and was the majority leader from 1959 to 1966, leading the Conservative Caucus in the nonpartisan body. He was also a member of the Interim Agriculture Commission, 1955–1957. He 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 90th, 91st, 92nd and 93rd congresses, (January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1975). He was not a candidate for reelection in 1974. He was a resident of Lucan, Minnesota until his death on November 11, 1990. He was buried at St. Michael's Cemetery. His daughter, Barb Sykora, served in the

from 1995 to 2007.

References

Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
1907 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American politicians American people of Austrian descent American people of Czechoslovak descent School superintendents in Minnesota Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Republican Party Minnesota state senators People from Redwood County, Minnesota Minnesota State University, Mankato alumni University of Minnesota alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota 20th-century American educators Schoolteachers from Minnesota {{Minnesota-politician-stub