Leslie C. Arends

Leslie C. Arends
Arends in July 1973
House Minority Whip
In office
January 3, 1955 – December 31, 1974
LeaderJoseph W. Martin Jr.
Charles A. Halleck
Gerald Ford
John J. Rhodes
Preceded byJohn W. McCormack
Succeeded byRobert H. Michel
In office
January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953
LeaderJoseph W. Martin Jr.
Preceded byJohn W. McCormack
Succeeded byJohn W. McCormack
In office
May 13, 1943 – January 3, 1947
LeaderJoseph W. Martin Jr.
Preceded byHarry L. Englebright
Succeeded byJohn W. McCormack
House Majority Whip
In office
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955
LeaderCharles A. Halleck
Preceded byPercy Priest
Succeeded byCarl Albert
In office
January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
LeaderCharles A. Halleck
Preceded byJohn Sparkman
Succeeded byPercy Priest
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Illinois
In office
January 3, 1935 – December 31, 1974
Preceded byFrank Gillespie
Succeeded byTim Lee Hall
Constituency17th district (1935–1973)
15th district (1973–1974)
Personal details
Born
Leslie Cornelius Arends

(1895-09-27)September 27, 1895
Melvin, Illinois, U.S.
DiedJuly 17, 1985(1985-07-17) (aged 89)
Naples, Florida, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBetty Tychon
Children1
ProfessionFarmer
Banker

Leslie Cornelius Arends (September 27, 1895 – July 17, 1985) was a Republican politician from Illinois who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1935 until 1974.

A native and lifelong resident of Melvin, Illinois, Arends attended Oberlin College and served in the United States Navy during World War I. He was involved in farming and banking; in addition to renting out several farms he owned, he eventually became president of the local bank his father had started.

Arends was elected to the U.S. House in 1934. He served from 1935 until resigning on December 31, 1974. From 1943 until his retirement, Arends served as the Republican Whip, holding the post during periods of Republican majority (1947-1949, 1953–1955) and minority (1943-1947, 1949–1953, 1955–1974). In addition, Arends rose by seniority to become the ranking minority member of the House Armed Services Committee.

A party loyalist, Arends opposed much government spending, and provided strong support to the party's presidential candidates. He remained loyal to Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal, and indicated that he would not vote to impeach Nixon.

After resigning from the House, Arends served on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, and lived in retirement in Melvin, Washington, DC, and Naples, Florida. He died in Naples, and was buried in Melvin.