Martin Dies Jr.

Martin Dies Jr.
Dies chairing a 1938 meeting of the
House Un-American Activities Committee
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas
In office
March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1945
Preceded byJohn Calvin Box
Succeeded byJesse Martin Combs
Constituency2nd district
In office
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1959
Preceded bydistrict created
Succeeded bydistrict abolished
ConstituencyAt-large district
Chairman of the House Committee Investigating Un-American Activities
In office
1938–1944
Preceded byoffice established
Succeeded byEdward J. Hart
Personal details
Born(1900-11-05)November 5, 1900
Colorado City, Texas, U.S.
DiedNovember 14, 1972(1972-11-14) (aged 72)
Lufkin, Texas, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Myrtle McAdams
(m. 1920)
Children3, including Martin Dies Jr.
Parents
Alma materUniversity of Texas
National University School of Law (LLB)
Occupation
  • Lawyer
  • politician

Martin Dies Jr. (November 5, 1900 – November 14, 1972), also known as Martin Dies Sr., was a Texas politician and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives.[1] He was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second and after that to the six succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1931 – January 3, 1945). In 1944, Dies did not seek renomination to the Seventy-ninth Congress, but was elected to the Eighty-third and to the two succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1959). Again, he did not seek renomination in 1958 to the Eighty-sixth Congress. In 1941 and 1957, he was twice defeated for the nomination to fill a vacancy in the United States Senate. Dies served as the first chairman of the Special Committee to Investigate Un-American Activities from 1937 through 1944 (Seventy-fifth through Seventy-eighth Congresses).[2][3]

  1. ^ "Ex-Rep. Martin Dies, 71, Is Dead. Led Un-American Activities Unit". New York Times. November 15, 1972. Retrieved 2008-03-20. Former Representative Martin Dies, first chairman of the controversial House Committee on Un-American Activities, died tonight, apparently of a heart attack. He was 71 years old. engaging in "un-American activities."
  2. ^ "Martin Dies Jr". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 2011-04-19. Dies, Martin Jr. (son of Martin Dies), a Representative from Texas; born in Colorado, Mitchell County, Tex., November 5, 1900; moved with his parents to Beaumont, Tex., in 1902; ...
  3. ^ "Martin Dies, Jr". Encyclopedia Britannica. 20 July 1998. Retrieved 27 December 2022.