Richard Vander Veen
| Richard Vander Veen | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 5th district |
|
|
In office February 18, 1974 – January 3, 1977 |
|
| Preceded by | Gerald Ford |
| Succeeded by | Harold S. Sawyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 26, 1922 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 2006 (aged 83) East Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
University of South Carolina (B.S.) Harvard Law School (LL.B.) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1941–1946, 1950-1952 |
| Rank | Junior Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars |
World War II • South Pacific Theater Korean War |
Richard Franklin Vander Veen (November 26, 1922 – March 3, 2006) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.
Born in Grand Rapids, Vander Veen attended the local public schools and graduated from Muskegon High School in 1940. He earned a B.S from the University of South Carolina in 1946 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1949. He was admitted to the Michigan bar in 1949 and commenced practice in Grand Rapids. In 1951, he, Walter Freihofer and George Cook formed what was to become the third-largest law firm in Grand Rapids. He retired from the law firm when he was elected to Congress.
With the outbreak of World War II, Vander Veen enlisted in the United States Navy January 1941 and served until 1946, seeing active duty in the South Pacific Theater. He also served in the Korean War from 1950 to 1952 with the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade.
In 1958, Vander Veen made an unsuccessful bid as the Democratic Party candidate to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Representative Gerald Ford in Michigan's 5th congressional district. He became chair of the Michigan Fifth District Democratic Party in 1959 and was an unsuccessful candidate in the Democratic primary election for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan in 1960, losing to T. John Lesinski. He was chairman of the Michigan State Democratic Convention in 1960, and was a delegate to the state conventions in 1962 and 1964. He served on the Michigan State Mental Health Commission, 1958–1963, and the Michigan State Highway Commission, 1964–1969. In 1969, he was elected to the East Grand Rapids Board of Education.
...
Wikipedia