Dellenback, John R., 1918-2002
Biography
John Richard Dellenback was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1918. He attended Beloit College from 1935 to 1936, then transferred to Yale University where he studied applied economics. After graduating in 1940, he worked for General Electric in Connecticut. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and served in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He was discharged in 1946. In 1948, he and Mary Jane Benedict were married; they later had three children. In 1949, he earned a law degree from the University of Michigan. That same year, he began teaching law at Oregon State University. He left the university to practice law in Medford, Oregon, in 1951. He was a Republican and represented Jackson County in Oregon House of Representatives from 1961 to 1966, and Oregon's Fourth District in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975. He was appointed director of the Peace Corps by President Gerald Ford, serving from 1975 to 1977. He then served as president of the Christian College Coalition until 1988. He died in 2002.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Oral history interview with John R. Dellenback
Oral history interview with John R. Dellenback conducted by Clark Hansen from June 24 to October 3, 1992, as part of the Oregon Legislature Oral History Series. Dellenback was an Oregon representative, a congressman, and director of the Peace Corps.