James Oberstar - Wikibash

James Louis Oberstar, born on September 10, 1934, in Chisholm, Minnesota, was a dedicated American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota's 8th congressional district from 1975 to 2011. He was a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and was known for his expertise in transportation and infrastructure issues. His father, Louis, was an iron ore miner, and his mother, Frances, was of Slovenian descent.

He graduated from Chisholm High School in 1952 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1956, followed by a Master's degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, in 1957.

Before his election to Congress, he worked as a civilian language teacher in the United States Marine Corps, teaching English to Haitian military personnel and French to American Marine officers. He also served as a senior staff member on the Public Works Committee for U.S. Representative John Blatnik from 1963 to 1974, eventually rising to the position of chief of staff.

Full Name James Oberstar
Other Name James Louis Oberstar
Gender Male
Profession Former United States Representative
Date of Birth 10-September-1934 (79 years)
Birth Location Chisholm, Minnesota, U.S.
Death Time 03-May-2014
Death Location Potomac, Maryland, U.S.

In 1974, he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served for 36 years, making him the longest-serving member of Congress from Minnesota.

During his tenure, James Oberstar chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 2007 to 2011 and was the ranking minority member from 1995 to 2007. He was a strong advocate for improving America's transportation system, supporting projects such as the restoration of St. Paul's Union Depot and the response to the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis in 2007.

James Oberstar was also known for his work on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which helped to keep millions of Americans employed during the economic downturn.

He was a vocal opponent of the Iraq War in 2002 and worked on various issues, including adoption, cancer research, and human rights. Despite his long and successful career, he was defeated in the 2010 election by Republican Chip Cravaack by a margin of 4,407 votes. After leaving Congress, he continued to be involved in transportation and infrastructure advocacy until his death on May 3, 2014, in Potomac, Maryland.

Jean Kurth
Spouse
Jo Garlick
Spouse (Deceased)

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James Oberstar was 79 years old

James Oberstar was born on 10-September-1934

James Oberstar was born in Chisholm, Minnesota, U.S.

References

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Oberstar

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