James Roy Rowland Jr. (February 3, 1926 – April 25, 2022) was an American

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

veteran, politician, and physician who served six terms as a

United States 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 ...

from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

from 1982 to 1995.

Early life and education

Rowland attended Wrightsville High School and graduated in 1943. He then attended

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

Oxford, Georgia Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,134. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. Much of the city is part of the National Parks-designated Oxford Histori ...

in 1943, South Georgia College in

Douglas, Georgia Douglas is a city in Coffee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 11,722. Douglas is the county seat of Coffee County and the core city of the Douglas, Georgia Micropolitan Statistical Area, which ...

, in 1946 and the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

from 1946 to 1948. Rowland earned his

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

from the

Medical College of Georgia The Medical College of Georgia (often referred to as MCG) is the flagship medical school of the University System of Georgia, the state's only public medical school, and one of the top 10 largest medical schools in the United States. Established ...

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georgi ...

in 1952. His education was obtained around his service in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

during

as a sergeant from 1944 to 1946. He was a practicing physician from 1952 to 1982.

Political tenure

Rowland served as a member of the

Georgia House of Representatives The Georgia House of Representatives is the lower house of the Georgia General Assembly (the state legislature) of the U.S. state of Georgia. There are currently 180 elected members. Republicans have had a majority in the chamber since 2005. ...

from 1976 through 1982.

Congress

He was first elected to the

United States House of Representatives 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 ...

in 1982 when he defeated fellow Democrat

Billy Lee Evans Billy Lee Evans (born November 10, 1941) is an American politician who served in both the Georgia House of Representatives (1969-1977) and the U.S. House of Representatives (1977 to 1983). Early life and education Evans was born in Tifton, Ge ...

, who had been tainted by a scandal of accusations of accepting illegal campaign contributions. Rowland served six terms in Congress, from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1995, and did not seek re-nomination in 1994. While in Congress, he introduced the Radiation-Exposed Veterans Compensation Act of 1988 and the Veterans Health Programs Extension Act of 1994, both of which were signed into law.

Death and legacy

The J. Roy Rowland Federal Courthouse in

Dublin, Georgia Dublin is a city in Laurens County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,074. It is the county seat of Laurens County. History The original settlement was named after Dublin, Ireland. Dublin, accordi ...

, built in 1935, was renamed for him. Rowland died on April 25, 2022, at the age of 96. He was interred in Westview Cemetery in

Wrightsville, Georgia Wrightsville is a city in Johnson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,195 at the 2010 census, down from 2,223 at the 2000 census. The city limits include Johnson State Prison on the northeast side of town. The city is the county ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowland, J. Roy 1926 births 2022 deaths Democratic Party members of the Georgia House of Representatives University of Georgia alumni Physicians from Georgia (U.S. state) United States Army non-commissioned officers United States Army personnel of World War II Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) People from Johnson County, Georgia Military personnel from Georgia (U.S. state) Emory College alumni