Wayne Aspinall
| Wayne Norviel Aspinall | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 4th district |
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In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Robert F. Rockwell |
| Succeeded by | James P. Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 3, 1896 Middleburg, Logan County, Ohio |
| Died | October 9, 1983 (aged 87) Palisade, Colorado |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | University of Denver |
Wayne Norviel Aspinall (April 3, 1896 – October 9, 1983) was a lawyer and politician from Colorado. He is largely known for his tenure in the United States House of Representatives, serving as a Democrat from 1949–1973 from Colorado’s Fourth District. Aspinall became known for his direction of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, of which he was the chairman from 1959–1973. Aspinall focused the majority of his efforts on western land and water issues.
His actions supporting resource development often drew the ire of the increasingly powerful environmental lobby in the 1960s. David Brower, a prominent executive director of the Sierra Club, said that the environmental movement had seen “dream after dream dashed on the stony continents of Wayne Aspinall.” The congressman returned the animosity, calling environmentalists “over-indulged zealots” and “” to whom “balance means nothing.” This battle shaped Aspinall’s congressional career.
Aspinall was born in Middleburg, Logan County, Ohio in 1896 and moved to Palisade, Colorado in 1904. He studied at the University of Denver until World War I, when he enlisted in the armed services (the Air Service of the Signal Corps). He returned to DU after his discharge and graduated in 1919. After several years of teaching around the state, he enrolled in law school in Denver and graduated in 1925. In 1930, he won a seat in the Colorado State House of Representatives, serving as Speaker in 1937 and 1938 before moving to the State Senate from 1939 to 1948. He served in World War II as a captain in Military Government during 1943 and 1944 as well. In 1948, he chose to run for national office, hoping for it to be a stepping stone to Colorado’s governorship. However, he would stay in the U.S. House for 24 years.
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