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Jerry Voorhis (1901–1984) was a Democratic politician from California. He served five terms in the United States House of Representatives, representing the 12th Congressional district in Los Angeles County from 1937 to 1947. He was the first political opponent of Richard Nixon, who defeated him for reelection in 1946 in a campaign cited as an example of red-baiting in Nixon's political rise. Voorhis was born in Kansas, and moved around much in his childhood. He graduated from Yale University after being elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and secured a master's degree from Claremont Graduate School in education. He served in varying capacities as a young adult, becoming headmaster of newly-founded Voorhis School for Boys in 1928, a post he retained into his congressional career. In ten years in Congress, Voorhis compiled a liberal voting record and was a loyal supporter of the New Deal. His major legislative accomplishment was the Voorhis Act of 1940, requiring registration of certain organizations controlled by foreign powers. After four comfortable reelections, he faced Nixon in a bitter campaign in which Voorhis's supposed endorsement by groups linked to the Communist Party was a major issue. (more...)
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