Biography

03/10/1908 - 04/09/1988

DENT, John Herman, a Representative from Westmoreland County; born, March 10, 1908 in Johnetta, Armstrong County, Pa.; attended, Great Lakes Naval Aviation Academy and I.C.S.; corporal, United States Marine Corps (1924-1928); mechanic; salesman; editorial writer, Jeanette Free Press; contributor, various magazines and labor publications; operator, Kelden Coal & Coke Co.; proprietor, the Building and Transportation Co. of Trafford and Jeannette; elected, council, Jeanette City (1932-1934); elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1934; not a candidate for reelection to the House (1936); elected, Pennsylvania State Senate (1936-1958); elected, Senate Floor Leader (1939-1958); appointed, chair, Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Industrial Taxes (1937-1938); appointed, Joint Committee to Study Unemployment Compensation Problems (1939-1940); appointed, Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Charges of Conspiracy in the General Assembly (1941-1942); appointed, Joint State Government Commission (1941-1958); appointed, Commission on Interstate Cooperation (1943-1958; chair, 1957-1958: Subcommittees on Crime and Defense, 1943-1946: Subcommittee on Liquor Problems, chair, 1943-1946 and 1949-1950: Subcommittee on Interstate Waters, Ohio River Basin, 1943-1946, 1949-1950); appointed, Joint Executive Legislative Committee (1945-1948: Subcommittee on Municipal Authorities, 1945-1946: Subcommittee on Corporation and Cooperatives, 1947-1948: Subcommittee on Labor Laws, 1947-1948); appointed, State Highway and Bridge Authority Commission (1949-1950); appointed, General State Authority Commission (1949-1950); elected, United States Congress (Special Election, January 21, 1958-1979); died, April 9, 1988 in Jeanette, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; interred, Greensburg Catholic Cemetery, Greensburg, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.