John Conyers | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Official portrait, 2017 | |
| 44th Dean of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – December 5, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | John Dingell |
| Succeeded by | Don Young |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan | |
| In office January 3, 1965 – December 5, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Lucien Nedzi |
| Succeeded by | Brenda Jones |
| Constituency | 1st district (1965–1993) 14th district (1993–2013) 13th district (2013–2017) |
| Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – December 5, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Lamar Smith |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Nadler |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Hamilton Fish IV |
| Succeeded by | Lamar Smith |
| Chair of the House Judiciary Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Sensenbrenner |
| Succeeded by | Lamar Smith |
| Chair of the House Oversight Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Jack Brooks |
| Succeeded by | William F. Clinger Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John James Conyers Jr. May 16, 1929 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 2019 (aged 90) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Socialists of America |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Ian Conyers (grand-nephew) |
| Education | Wayne State University (BA, LLB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | US Army |
| Years of service | 1948–1950 1950–1957 |
| Unit | Army National Guard |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
John James Conyers Jr.[a] (May 16, 1929 – October 27, 2019) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. Conyers was the sixth-longest serving member of Congress and the longest-serving African American member of Congress in history.
After serving in the Korean War, Conyers became active in the civil rights movement. He also served as an aide to Congressman John Dingell before winning election to the House in 1964. He co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 and established a reputation as one of the most left-wing members of Congress. Conyers joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus after it was founded in 1991. Conyers supported creation of a single-payer healthcare system and sponsored the United States National Health Care Act. He also sponsored a bill to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday, and was the first congressperson to introduce legislation in support of reparations for the descendants of African American slavery.
Conyers ran for Mayor of Detroit in 1989 and 1993, but he was defeated in the primary both times.
Conyers served as the ranking Democratic member on the House Committee on the Judiciary from 1995 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2017. He served as chairman of that committee from 2007 to 2011 and as chairman of the House Oversight Committee from 1989 to 1995. As the longest-serving current member of Congress, Conyers was the dean of the House of Representatives from 2015 to 2017. By November 2017, he was the last remaining member of Congress who had served since the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. In the wake of allegations that he had sexually harassed female staff members and secretly used taxpayer money to settle a harassment claim, Conyers resigned from Congress on December 5, 2017.
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