Walter Capps
Encyclopedia
Walter Holden Capps was an American
politician
. He was a Democratic Party
member of the United States House of Representatives
. Capps had lost an election to Andrea Seastrand
for the 22nd district in California
in 1994, which had been a landslide year for the Republicans
. Seastrand, a conservative, was targeted for defeat by a coalition of labor unions. The Capps campaign was an indirect beneficiary of an 18-month campaign to defeat Seastrand that saw the labor unions spend an estimated $3.2 million, an amount that exceeded the warchests of the Capps and Seastrand campaigns combined. While driving home from a campaign event during the summer of 1996, Capps' vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Capps was seriously injured and was unable to actively campaign until the final few weeks of the campaign. Despite his absence from the campaign trail, Capps won, even as Bob Dole edged Bill Clinton in the district.
Capps died of a heart attack
at Dulles Airport only nine months into his term. The Reverend Jesse Jackson
attended his funeral. Capps was succeeded by his widow, Lois Capps, who won in a special election in the spring of 1998. Subsequent legislation by Congresswoman Capps has mandated the presence of AEDs
in public places.
Before entering politics, Capps taught for more than thirty years at the University of California, Santa Barbara
. As a Professor in the Religious Studies department he helped define the field, and cataloged the growth and changes in his 1995 book Religious Studies: The Making of a Discipline. An anti-war activist during the 1960s, he later initiated a nationally renowned course titled "Religion and the Impact of Vietnam" in 1979.
His name lives on in the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was a Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Capps had lost an election to Andrea Seastrand
Andrea Seastrand
Andrea Seastrand was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives.Seastrand was born in Chicago, Illinois and graduated from DePaul University with a B.A. in 1963. She worked as an elementary school teacher and was president of the California Federation of Republican Women...
for the 22nd district in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1994, which had been a landslide year for the Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. Seastrand, a conservative, was targeted for defeat by a coalition of labor unions. The Capps campaign was an indirect beneficiary of an 18-month campaign to defeat Seastrand that saw the labor unions spend an estimated $3.2 million, an amount that exceeded the warchests of the Capps and Seastrand campaigns combined. While driving home from a campaign event during the summer of 1996, Capps' vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. Capps was seriously injured and was unable to actively campaign until the final few weeks of the campaign. Despite his absence from the campaign trail, Capps won, even as Bob Dole edged Bill Clinton in the district.
Capps died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at Dulles Airport only nine months into his term. The Reverend Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
attended his funeral. Capps was succeeded by his widow, Lois Capps, who won in a special election in the spring of 1998. Subsequent legislation by Congresswoman Capps has mandated the presence of AEDs
Automated external defibrillator
An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of...
in public places.
Before entering politics, Capps taught for more than thirty years at the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
. As a Professor in the Religious Studies department he helped define the field, and cataloged the growth and changes in his 1995 book Religious Studies: The Making of a Discipline. An anti-war activist during the 1960s, he later initiated a nationally renowned course titled "Religion and the Impact of Vietnam" in 1979.
His name lives on in the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life at the University of California, Santa Barbara.