John Walter Heselton (March 17, 1900 – August 19, 1962) was 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 ...

member of 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 ...

from January 3, 1945 until January 3, 1959. Heselton represented

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

' first congressional district for seven consecutive terms. Heselton was born in

Gardiner, Maine Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 5,961 at the 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Gardiner is noted for its culture and old architecture. Gardiner is a nationally accrediteMain StreetAmerica commun ...

, the son of George W. and Mary E. (née Stafford) Heselton. He joined 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 ...

for

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, but his October 1918 enlistment came shortly before the end of the war, and Heselton was discharged in December. He graduated from Amherst College and Harvard Law School, and practiced law in

Greenfield, Massachusetts Greenfield is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Greenfield was first settled in 1686. The population was 17,768 at the 2020 census. Greenfield is home to Greenfield Community College, the Pioneer Val ...

. He married his wife, Libbie Sweet, a graduate of

Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts * Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky * Ha ...

, in 1931. Heselton was active in Deerfield town politics, and was president of the Massachusetts Selectmen's Association from 1935 to 1938. He was the district attorney of the northwestern district of Massachusetts from 1939 to 1944. In 1944 he was elected to Congress, and served until his retirement in 1959. Heselton voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Heselton retired in

Vero Beach, Florida Vero Beach is a city in and the seat of Indian River County, Florida, United States. Vero Beach is the second most populous city in Indian River County. Abundant in beaches and wildlife, Vero Beach is located on Florida's Treasure Coast. It is thi ...

, and died on August 19, 1962, after having considered a political comeback in Florida earlier that year. He is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in

References

External links

* 1900 births 1962 deaths Burials in Louisiana People from Gardiner, Maine Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians Amherst College alumni Harvard Law School alumni {{Massachusetts-Representative-stub