Eugene Atkinson
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Eugene Vincent Atkinson (April 5, 1927 – August 4, 2016) was an American politician who, from 1979 to 1983, served two-terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.


Early life and career

Atkinson was born in the
Pittsburgh Metro Area Greater Pittsburgh is a populous region centered around its largest city and economic hub, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The region encompasses Pittsburgh's urban core county, Allegheny, and six adjacent Pennsylvania counties: Armstrong, Beaver, B ...
city of
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania Aliquippa is the largest city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, located on the Ohio River about northwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Formerly the loc ...
. He graduated from the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...
. Atkinson was the director of customs for the port of
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
from 1962 to 1969. Atkinson then served as the Beaver County commissioner from 1972 to 1978.


Tenure

In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House as a member of the Democratic Party. Atkinson was an early supporter of
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
in
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...
, but in 1980 Atkinson endorsed Senator
Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...
for President. At rallies for Kennedy, Atkinson praised Kennedy's leadership. While Atkinson was on a radio call-in show in 1981, President Ronald Reagan called into the show and persuaded Atkinson to support Reagan’s proposed budget cuts. Reagan was calling from his
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
hospital bed while recovering from a gunshot wound as a result of an assassination attempt. On October 14, 1981, Atkinson switched parties, joining the Republican Party. Atkinson claimed at the time that the switch was a result of Democratic reaction to his support of Reagan’s agenda. New York Republican Representative
John LeBoutillier John LeBoutillier (born May 26, 1953) is an American political columnist, pundit, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York, serving a single two-year term. Education LeBoutillier graduated from ...
led the congressional effort to coax Atkinson to switch parties. After the switch, House Speaker Tip O’Neill predicted Atkinson would be defeated in his next election. The prediction proved accurate, as Atkinson subsequently lost his 1982 re-election by a 21 percentage point margin to Joseph P. Kolter.


Death

Atkinson died on August 4, 2016 at the age of 89.


See also

*
List of American politicians who switched parties in office The following American politicians switched parties while they were holding elected office. Federal State Local See also * List of Canadian politicians who have crossed the floor * List of elected British politicians who have chang ...
*
List of United States representatives who switched parties The following are members of the United States House of Representatives who switched parties while serving in Congress. See also * List of United States senators who switched parties *List of party switchers in the United States *Party switching ...


References


Sources

*
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Eugene 1927 births 2016 deaths People from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania Beaver County Commissioners (Pennsylvania)