Lee E. Geyer

Lee E. Geyer
Geyer c. 1940
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 17th district
In office January 3, 1939 – October 11, 1941
Preceded by	Charles J. Colden
Succeeded by	Cecil R. King
Member of the California State Assembly from the 67th district
In office January 7, 1935 – January 4, 1937
Preceded by	Cecil R. King
Succeeded by	Cecil R. King
Personal details
Born	Lee Edward Geyer (1888-09-09)September 9, 1888 Wetmore, Kansas, US
Died	October 11, 1941(1941-10-11) (aged 53) Washington, D.C., US
Resting place	Wetmore Cemetery
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Nellie Lucille Cordts ​ ​ (m. 1919)​
Education	Baker University University of Southern California
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1918
Battles/wars	World War I

Lee Edward Geyer (September 9, 1888 – October 11, 1941) was an American educator and World War I veteran who served as a U.S. representative from California from 1939 to 1941. He died in office during his only term in Congress.

Early life, education and career

Born in Wetmore, Kansas, Geyer attended the public schools, graduated from Baker University in 1922, and afterwards did post-graduate work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. He was a teacher in the rural schools in Nemaha County, Kansas from 1908 to 1912 and principal of Hamlin (Kansas) High School between 1916 and 1918.

Geyer married Nellie Lucille Cordts on December 11, 1919.

World War I

During the First World War, Geyer served as a private in the Third Company, First Battalion, Central Officers' Training School, Camp Grant, Illinois.

Geyer (center) with other members of the social science faculty at Gardena High School, 1931

Geyer was later a teacher and administrator in high schools in Kansas, Arizona and California from 1919 to 1938.

Political career

State Assembly

Geyer was one of two dozen "EPIC Democrats" elected to the state legislature in 1934. He served as member of the State Assembly from 1935 to 1937. He was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1936 to the seventy-fifth Congress.

Congress

Geyer was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-sixth and Seventy-seventh Congresses and served from January 3, 1939, until his death. He authored the first anti-poll tax legislation which had not passed at the time of his death but was continued by others to become the 24th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He served as delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Death

Geyer died of pneumonia on October 11, 1941, in Washington, D.C. He was interred in Wetmore Cemetery, Wetmore, Kansas.

Electoral history

1938 United States House of Representatives elections in California

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lee E. Geyer (incumbent)	56,513	58.8
	Republican	Clifton A. Hix	26,891	28.0
	Townsend	Fred C. Wagner	8,870	9.2
	Progressive Party (United States, 1924)	Robert O. Bates	3,774	3.9
Total votes			96,048	100.0
Turnout
	Democratic hold

1940 United States House of Representatives elections in California

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Lee E. Geyer (incumbent)	75,109	65.5
	Republican	Clifton A. Hix	32,862	28.6
	Progressive Party (United States, 1924)	Samuel C. Converse	5,649	4.9
	Communist	Harry L. Gray	1,118	1.0
Total votes			114,738	100.0
Turnout
	Democratic hold

See also

• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1900–1949)

Sources

• United States Congress. "Lee E. Geyer (id: G000147)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

External links

• Lee E. Geyer at Find a Grave
• Join California Lee E. Geyer

 This article incorporates public domain material from Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Federal government of the United States.