John Andrew Young

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For other people with the same name, see John Young.

John Andrew Young (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2002) was an Democratic politician from Texas who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1957 to 1979.

Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Young attended Incarnate Word Academy and Corpus Christi College-Academy. He earned his B.A. at St. Edward's University in 1937 and his L.L.B from the University of Texas School of Law in 1940. After starting his career as a lawyer, he served in the United States Navy from 1941 to 1945.

Young served as a lawyer for Nueces County, Texas in various positions, as assistant county attorney in 1946, assistant district attorney from 1947 to 1950, county attorney from 1951 to 1952 and county judge from 1953 to 1956. He ran successfully as a Democrat for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956, defeating incumbent John J. Bell in the primary election and winning the general election. He took seat in 1957 and was reelected ten times.

Young came under fire in his eleventh term when a former female member of his staff, Colleen Gardner, said that she received a pay raise after giving in to sexual advances from him. Young was married with five children at the time. His wife, Jane, eventually committed suicide on July 13, 1977 by a gunshot to the head. The scandal caused his defeat to Joseph P. Wyatt, Jr. in the primary election in 1978 and he left office in 1979. Afterwards, he worked as a consultant until his death on January 22, 2002. He was interned in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.

[edit] See also

• Wayne Hays

[edit] References

• John Andrew Young at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-03-31
• Congressional Bad Boys biography

Preceded by John J. Bell

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 14th congressional district January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1979

Succeeded by Joseph P. Wyatt, Jr.