John Duncan, Sr.
| John J. Duncan Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 2nd district | |
|
In office January 3, 1965 – June 21, 1988 |
|
| Preceded by | Irene Bailey Baker |
| Succeeded by | John Duncan Jr. |
| Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee | |
|
In office 1959–1964 |
|
| Preceded by | Cas Walker (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Robert L. Crossley (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John James Duncan March 14, 1919 Huntsville, Tennessee |
| Died | June 21, 1988 (aged 69) Knoxville, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Duncan Family Cemetery Scott County, Tennessee |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lois Swisher |
| Alma mater |
University of Tennessee Cumberland University |
| Occupation | attorney |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
John James Duncan Sr. (March 14, 1919 – June 21, 1988) was an American attorney and Republican politician who represented Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1965 until his death in 1988. He also served as Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1959 to 1964, and as assistant attorney general of Knox County, from 1948 until 1956. He is the father of Congressman John Duncan Jr., who currently represents the 2nd District.
Duncan was born in Huntsville, Tennessee, the sixth of ten children of Cassie (Lee) and Flem Baird Duncan. After completing grade school in the Huntsville area, he won a $25 scholarship from Sears-Roebuck. He enrolled in the University of Tennessee in 1939, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science two years later. Following the outbreak of World War II he joined the United States Army, serving from 1942 to 1945. After the war, Duncan enrolled in Cumberland University's law school, from which he graduated in 1948.
Following his graduation, Duncan returned to Knoxville, where he had accepted a position as assistant attorney general of Knox County. In late 1952, Duncan became embroiled in a local controversy when, as commander of the American Legion's East Tennessee Division, he drafted a resolution condemning UT's film society for a planned showing of several films starring Charlie Chaplin, who had been accused of being a communist sympathizer. Reacting to the resolution, UT president Cloide Brehm cancelled the event. The school's newspaper, the Orange and White, nevertheless blasted Duncan's accusations as "nonsense."
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