James E. Van Zandt

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James Van Zandt
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
In office January 3, 1939 – September 24, 1943
Preceded by	Don Gingery
Succeeded by	D. Emmert Brumbaugh
Constituency	23rd district
In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1963
Preceded by	D. Emmert Brumbaugh
Succeeded by	Elmer Holland
Constituency	22nd district (1947–1953) 20th district (1953–1963)
Personal details
Born	(1898-12-18)December 18, 1898 Altoona, Pennsylvania, US
Died	January 6, 1986(1986-01-06) (aged 87)
Political party	Republican
Occupation	Politician, Naval officer
Military service
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1917–1959
Rank	Rear Admiral

James Edward Van Zandt (December 18, 1898 – January 6, 1986) was an American Republican Party politician who represented Altoona, Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives for eleven terms from 1939 to 1963.

James Van Zandt was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania; his maternal grandparents were Irish immigrants.^[1] In 1917 he enlisted as an apprentice seaman in the United States Navy and served two years. He was a member of the United States Naval Reserve from 1919 to 1943, rising to the rank of lieutenant. In December 1933 he toured the country with Smedley Butler to recruit members for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He was the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars from 1934 to 1936. He later corroborated Butler's testimony regarding the Business Plot, stating that 'agents of Wall Street' had also attempted to recruit him for a planned coup to overthrow Franklin Delano Roosevelt, shortly after Butler warned him against them.^[2]

He was elected in 1938 as a Republican to the 76th, 77th, and 78th United States Congresses, and served from January 3, 1939, until his resignation September 24, 1943, when he re-entered the service. While a Member of Congress he was called to active duty in September 1941 and served until January 1942 with the Pacific Fleet and in escort convoy duty in the North Atlantic. He reentered the service in September 1943 as a lieutenant commander and was assigned to the Pacific area until discharged as a captain in 1946, and retired as rear admiral in United States Naval Reserve in 1959.

He was elected to the 80th and to the seven succeeding Congresses. Van Zandt, while a member of the House Armed Services Committee, made an impassioned speech on the House floor leveling charges against Secretary of Defense Louis A. Johnson and Air Force Secretary Stuart Symington in regard to the procurement of the B-36 bomber. This speech brought into public view the "Revolt of the Admirals". The basis of these charges was a bogus document from Cedric Worth who was the special assistant to the Under Secretary of the Navy Dan Kimball. On June 9, 1948, the HASC voted to investigate the charges.^[3]

In the 1954 attack on the House of Representatives by Puerto Rican nationalists, he tackled and disarmed one of the shooters. Van Zandt voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960,^[4][5] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.^[6] In 1962, he unsuccessfully challenged United States Senator Joe Clark, who won re-election to a second term by a 51 to 49 percent margin. He was a Special Representative of the Governor of Pennsylvania until 1971. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.^[7]

• Business Plot

• United States Congress. "James E. Van Zandt (id: V000069)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2008-02-07
• The Political Graveyard

• Media related to James E. Van Zandt at Wikimedia Commons
• A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with James E. Van Zandt" is available for viewing at the Internet Archive