Robert Edward Difenderfer (June 7, 1849 – April 25, 1923) was a politician from Pennsylvania. He served as a 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 ...

, representing the 8th district, then composing of Bucks and Montgomery counties, from 1911 to 1914.

Early life

Robert Edward Difenderfer was born in

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,1 ...

. He attended the common schools and studied dentistry.

Career

Difenderfer practiced this profession for fourteen years in Lewisburg and

Pottsville, Pennsylvania Pottsville is the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the west bank of th ...

. He built and operated the first

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

en mill at

Tianjin Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...

, China. He returned to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in August 1900, where he engaged in the wholesale lumber business and as a contractor at

Jenkintown, Pennsylvania Jenkintown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Center City Philadelphia. History The community was named for William Jenkins, a Welsh pioneer settler. Jenkintown is located just ...

. Difenderfer was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the Sixty-second and Sixty-third Congresses. He represented the 8th district, then composing of Bucks and Montgomery counties. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1914, 1916, and 1918. He was a member of the foreign affairs and pensions committee and the Army expenditure committee. Difenderfer brought an investigation to the house committee on expenditures in the

United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, ...

related to the government showing favoritism in awarding shoe contracts. in 1912, Difenderfer asked that Secretary Charles Nagel of the

United States Department of Commerce and Labor The United States Department of Commerce and Labor was a short-lived Cabinet department of the United States government, which was concerned with fostering and supervising big business. Origins and establishment Calls in the United States for ...

investigate high coal prices. In 1914, Harry Grim defeated Difenderfer in the Democratic nomination for Congress. Difenderfer challenged the vote count and requested a recount. He was succeeded by Henry W. Watson. He was engaged in the retail confectionery business at Jenkintown.

Personal life

Difenderfer lived in Ashbourne, Pennsylvania. Difenderfer died on April 25, 1923, at his home in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. He was interred in Westminster Cemetery.

References

Sources

The Political Graveyard

External links

* * 1849 births 1923 deaths Politicians from Pottsville, Pennsylvania People from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania American expatriates in China American dentists Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American dentists 20th-century American politicians {{Pennsylvania-Representative-stub