Eugene Vincent Atkinson (April 5, 1927 – August 4, 2016) was an American politician who, from 1979 to 1983, served two-terms as a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
.
Early life and career
Atkinson was born in the
Pittsburgh Metro Area city of
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
Aliquippa is a city in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 9,238 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located northwest of Pittsburgh and is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan ar ...
. He graduated from the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is composed of seventeen undergraduate and graduate schools and colle ...
. Atkinson was the director of customs for the port of
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
from 1962 to 1969. Atkinson then served as the
Beaver County commissioner from 1972 to 1978.
Tenure
In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House as a member of the
Democratic Party.
Atkinson was an early supporter of
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
in
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
, but in
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
Atkinson endorsed Senator
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1962 to his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic Party and ...
for President. At rallies for Kennedy, Atkinson praised Kennedy's leadership.
While Atkinson was on a radio call-in show in 1981, President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
called into the show and persuaded Atkinson to support Reagan’s proposed budget cuts. Reagan was calling from his
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, hospital bed while recovering from a gunshot wound as a result of an assassination attempt.
On October 14, 1981, Atkinson
switched parties, joining the
Republican Party. Atkinson claimed at the time that the switch was a result of Democratic reaction to his support of Reagan’s agenda.
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
Republican Representative
John LeBoutillier
John LeBoutillier (born May 26, 1953) is an American political columnist, pundit, and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York.
Education
LeBoutillier graduated from the Brooks School in North Ando ...
led the congressional effort to coax Atkinson to switch parties.
After the switch,
House Speaker
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hung ...
Tip O’Neill predicted Atkinson would be defeated in his next election. The prediction proved accurate, as Atkinson subsequently lost his
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
re-election by a 21 percentage point margin to
Joseph P. Kolter.
Death
Atkinson died on August 4, 2016, at the age of 89.
See also
*
*
List of United States representatives who switched parties
References
Sources
*
The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Eugene
1927 births
2016 deaths
People from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
Beaver County commissioners (Pennsylvania)
20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives