So often when the very old die there are few people around to remember what they did. Such was not the case with John Dingell who died at 92 and has been roundly remembered by many. For one reason he was The Dean, the longest-serving member of Congress, retiring in 2015 after 59 years. And in those decades of service, he was instrumental in championing the rights of unions, automobile companies, the environment and most notably health care.
Dingell was literally a child of the New Deal. He went to Washington with his father, John, Sr. when he was elected to Congress in 1932 in the Roosevelt landslide. He was a page serving in the House when Franklin Roosevelt made his “Day of Infamy” speech the day after Pearl Harbor. Upon the death of his father, John was elected to that same seat, representing the mostly working-class district located in Southeast Michigan.
Politico did a piece, written by Zack Stanton, upon his death with the title, “You’re Living in America John Dingell Made.” From Medicare to Medicaid, including programs for children’s health, and later Obamacare, to clean water and civil rights, Dingell had a hand in shaping legislation that delivered it. He also championed the biggest employers in his district, the automakers. For that, he was named by the Detroit Free Press as “the junkyard dog of Congress.”
Dingell did not initially support gun control, even serving for a time on the board of the National Rifle Association. He did, however, resign that position, in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing after an NRA official referred to federal agents as “jackbooted thugs.” And he supported anti-crime legislation that banned assault weapons.
You always knew where you stood with John Dingell. “Mr. President,” he once told Jimmy Carter who wanted his support for stricter standards on auto emissions, “I can be friendly, or I can be frank, but I can’t be both.”
When Dingell retired, he channeled his famous wit into Twitter and gained a whole new generation of fans who know him for his critiques of the current Administration as well as his championing all things Michigan. Here are some gathered by the Detroit Free Press.
I fought for universal healthcare for 89 yrs. And forgot to slip in one damn line requiring super-long phone chargers during hospital stays.
I do not accept the results of the 2016 Detroit Tigers season.
Say what you will about the Lions, they've nearly perfected walking backward between plays while the flags are being picked up.
Wife is working late tonight. Might eat ice cream for dinner.
Everything's a balance beam when you're 90.
And here’s his advice for all of us. “Naps are important. When in doubt, take a nap.”
His last words for America, contained in the form of an op-ed published in the Washington Post and dictated literally on his deathbed, echoed his commitment to service. He includes this admonition. “In democratic government, elected officials do not have power. They hold power — in trust for the people who elected them.”
Dingell believed that those who are elected must serve their constituents. “I never forgot the people who gave me the privilege of representing them,” Dingell writes. “It was a lesson learned at home from my father and mother, and one I have tried to impart to the people I’ve served with and employed over the years.”
After all, when you serve others, people remember you.
NOTE: My connection to Dingell is multi-generational. My grandfather, who owned a weekly newspaper in Dingell’s district, knew Dingell, Sr and of course John, Jr. I met him once at an event at the University of Michigan; he was there to speak about his commitment to funding for mental health care. Although he was hobbled at the time by a bad knee, his voice was hearty and his handshake was a firm as the vice grip of a heavyweight boxer. When I told him that I had been a classmate of his wife Deborah at Georgetown, also his alma mater, he smiled broadly and with pride.
