William J. Scherle
Encyclopedia
William Joseph Scherle was a four-term Republican
U.S. Representative
from southwestern Iowa
.
Born in Little Falls, New York
, Scherle graduated from St. Mary's Academy in New York, New York.
He served in the United States Navy
from 1942 to 1946, then attended Southern Methodist University
of Dallas, Texas
from 1945 to 1947.
After briefly serving in 1947 as an assistant division manager with George D. Barnard Co. of Dallas, in 1948 he moved to southwestern Iowa
, where he became a grain and livestock farmer. He was also a member of the United States Naval Reserve from 1947 to 1954.
Scherle served as chair of the Mills County
Republican Central Committee from 1956 to 1964. In 1960 he was elected as a Republican to the Iowa House of Representatives
, where he served until 1966.
In 1966, Scherle was elected to represent Iowa's 7th congressional district
in the U.S. House of Representatives, unseating one-term Democrat John R. Hansen
. He was re-elected to that seat in 1968 and 1970. When reapportionment resulted in the loss of one congressional district in Iowa (his own), he ran and won election to Iowa's 5th congressional district
in 1972, defeating then-unknown Democrat Tom Harkin
.
After making a very public and national campaign against the National Endowment for the Arts
, and in particular its funding of the single-word poem "lighght" by Aram Saroyan
, Scherle found himself campaigned against by many of Saroyan's supporters including George Plimpton
.
In 1974, he ran for re-election but was defeated by Harkin. That election left only one Republican among Iowa's congressional delegation—new Congressman Charles E. Grassley. After losing his re-election bid, Scherle served as Deputy Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture
from 1975 to 1977. He later served as president of a consulting firm in Washington, D.C.
from 1977 to 1987.
Scherle died in Council Bluffs, Iowa
, and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery
.
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...
U.S. Representative
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...
from southwestern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
.
Born in Little Falls, New York
Little Falls (city), New York
Little Falls is a city in Herkimer County, New York, USA. The population was 5,188 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a small cataract near the city....
, Scherle graduated from St. Mary's Academy in New York, New York.
He served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1942 to 1946, then attended Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
of Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
from 1945 to 1947.
After briefly serving in 1947 as an assistant division manager with George D. Barnard Co. of Dallas, in 1948 he moved to southwestern Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, where he became a grain and livestock farmer. He was also a member of the United States Naval Reserve from 1947 to 1954.
Scherle served as chair of the Mills County
Mills County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,059 in the county, with a population density of . There were 6,109 housing units, of which 5,605 were occupied.-2000 census:...
Republican Central Committee from 1956 to 1964. In 1960 he was elected as a Republican to the Iowa House of Representatives
Iowa House of Representatives
The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 100 members of the House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 29,750 for each constituency...
, where he served until 1966.
In 1966, Scherle was elected to represent Iowa's 7th congressional district
Iowa's 7th congressional district
Iowa's 7th congressional district is a former congressional district in Iowa. It was eliminated after the 1970 election, leaving Iowa with six congressional districts. The state has since been reduced to five congressional districts.-Redistricting:...
in the U.S. House of Representatives, unseating one-term Democrat John R. Hansen
John R. Hansen
John Robert Hansen served one term, from January 3, 1965 to January 3, 1967, as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa. He and Tom Harkin are the only two Democrats to have represented southwestern Iowa in the U.S...
. He was re-elected to that seat in 1968 and 1970. When reapportionment resulted in the loss of one congressional district in Iowa (his own), he ran and won election to Iowa's 5th congressional district
Iowa's 5th congressional district
Iowa's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers most of Western Iowa and includes the cities of Council Bluffs and Sioux City...
in 1972, defeating then-unknown Democrat Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
.
After making a very public and national campaign against the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, and in particular its funding of the single-word poem "lighght" by Aram Saroyan
Aram Saroyan
Aram Saroyan is an American poet, novelist, biographer, memoirist and playwright. There has been a resurgence of interest in his work in the 21st century, evidenced by the publication in 2007 of several previous collections reissued together as Complete Minimal Poems.- Biography :Saroyan was born...
, Scherle found himself campaigned against by many of Saroyan's supporters including George Plimpton
George Plimpton
George Ames Plimpton was an American journalist, writer, editor, and actor. He is widely known for his sports writing and for helping to found The Paris Review.-Early life:...
.
In 1974, he ran for re-election but was defeated by Harkin. That election left only one Republican among Iowa's congressional delegation—new Congressman Charles E. Grassley. After losing his re-election bid, Scherle served as Deputy Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
from 1975 to 1977. He later served as president of a consulting firm in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1977 to 1987.
Scherle died in Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Council Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
, and was interred in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
.