John Olver
John Walter Olver (born September 3, 1936) is the U.S. Representative for Massachusetts's 1st congressional district, since 1991. Raised on a farm in Pennsylvania, Olver graduated from college at the age of 18 and went on to earn a PhD in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and later taught chemisrty at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for eight years.
He served in both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court, being elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1968, and the Massachusetts Senate in 1972. He ran in a 1991 special election to succeed 17-term incumbent Congressman Silvio O. Conte whom died in office. The district is a primarily rural district that makes up most of Western Massachusetts, and Olver is the first Democrat to ever represent the district.
He announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012, and will retire at the end of his eleventh term in Congress. He will be succeeded by fellow Congressman Richard Neal, who was redistricted from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district.
Read more about John Olver: Early Life, Education, and Career, Personal Life, Awards
Famous quotes containing the word john:
“thinking of
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—Frank O’Hara (1926–1966)