John E. Grotberg
| John E. Grotberg | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 14th district |
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In office January 3, 1985 – November 15, 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Corcoran |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Hastert |
| Member of the Illinois Senate | |
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In office 1977-1985 |
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
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In office 1973-1977 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 21, 1925 Winnebago, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | November 15, 1986 (aged 61) St. Charles, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater |
University of Chicago George Williams College |
John E. Grotberg (March 21, 1925 – November 15, 1986) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois serving from 1985 until his death from bronchial pneumonia and colon cancer in St. Charles, Illinois in 1986.
Grotberg, the fourth of eight children of Bernard and Sophie (née Weir) Grotberg, was born in Winnebago, Minnesota, and grew up in Valley City, North Dakota. His early career was in music as a singer with The Muny (the Municipal Opera Association) in St. Louis, and he also performed in Chicago. For many years he managed the Men’s Shop at the YMCA Hotel in Chicago, expanding into public relations work for the hotel, and eventually becoming corporate Director of Financial Development for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago.
During this time he also completed his college education at George Williams College, graduating with a B.S. in 1961. He worked for the newly opened Pheasant Run Lodge and Resort as well as performed in their lounge with his wife, Jean. He then was owner and President of John E. Grotberg and Associates, Financial Development Consultants, and General Manager of the Hotel Baker, a retirement home run by the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.
A resident of St. Charles, Illinois, since 1955, and active in many civic and social organizations, Grotberg was an enthusiastic supporter of the fine arts, having been engaged in many musical and theatrical enterprises himself. Among Grotberg’s civic accomplishments were the founding of the Tri-City Youth Project for Geneva, Batavia, and St. Charles (now TriCity Family Services), providing needed companionship and entertainment for area youths, and the Fox Valley Volunteer Hospice.
He left his job to enter politics in 1973. From 1973-77, Grotberg served two terms in the Illinois House of Representatives, and in 1976, he easily won an election to the Illinois Senate where he served three terms as Illinois State Senator (1977–85), the last four years of which he was the Assistant Republican Leader. As a ranking Republican in the Illinois legislature, he won election to Congress in November, 1984 for an open seat in a heavily Republican district, and was a member of the Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs and Small Business Committees.
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