Stanley A. Prokop (July 29, 1909 – November 11, 1977) was a Democratic

U.S. Representative 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 ...

from 1959 to 1961.

Biography

Born on July 29, 1909, in

Throop, Pennsylvania Throop is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States, adjoining Scranton. Formerly, coal mining and silk manufacturing provided employment for the people of Throop, who numbered 2,204 in 1900 and 5,133 in 1910. In 1940, 7,382 p ...

, a community in

Lackawanna County Lackawanna County (; ) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It had a population of 215,615 in 2022. Its county seat and most populous city is Scranton. The county is part of the Northeast region of the commonwealth. The county was ...

, Prokop attended

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...

in Philadelphia. At the beginning of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he enlisted in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

as a private, and was assigned to the 30th Infantry Division. He subsequently rose to the rank of captain. Post-war, he served on the North Pococno Joint

Board of Education A board of education, school committee or school board is the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or an equivalent institution. The elected council determines the educational policy in a small regional area, ...

for ten years, and was then elected to the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

in 1958, defeating incumbent Republican Congressman

Joseph L. Carrigg Joseph Leonard Carrigg (February 23, 1901 – February 6, 1989) was a Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Joseph L. Carrigg was born in Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania, Susq ...

. A one-term member, Prokop was defeated for re-election in 1960 by future Pennsylvania

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

William Scranton William Warren Scranton (July 19, 1917 – July 28, 2013) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician and diplomat. Scranton served as the 38th governor of Pennsylvania from 1963 to 1967, and as United States Am ...

, a

moderate Moderate is an ideological category which entails centrist views on a liberal-conservative spectrum. It may also designate a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. Political position Canad ...

Republican. He was then hired as Lackawanna County's director of Veterans' Affairs, a position he held for fourteen years.

Final years, death and interment

Prokop moved to Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, during his county government tenure, and remained in that job until his death on

Veterans Day Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with holidays in several countries, i ...

in 1977. His remains were interred at the St. Catherine Cemetery in

Moscow, Pennsylvania Moscow is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,039 at the 2020 census.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Report, Moscow borough, Pennsylvania https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP& ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prokop, Stanley A. 1909 births 1977 deaths United States Army personnel of World War II Villanova University alumni Politicians from Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania American politicians of Polish descent Military personnel from Pennsylvania Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania School board members in Pennsylvania United States Army officers 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives