1. George William Gekas was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the US House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 17th congressional district from 1983 to 2003.
14 Facts About George Gekas
1. 2.
George Gekas was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the son of Mary and William Gekas.
3.
George Gekas graduated from William Penn High School in 1948.
4.
George Gekas was a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
5.
George Gekas served in the United States Army from 1953 to 1955.
6.
George Gekas worked in a private law practice for two years and then served as assistant district attorney for Dauphin County from 1960 to 1966.
7.
In 1966, Gekas was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 103rd district.
8.
George Gekas served there until 1974, when he was upset by future Harrisburg mayor Steven Reed in the anti-Watergate Democratic landslide.
9.
George Gekas served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 15th district from 1977 to 1982.
10.
The Republican-controlled legislature drew a new Harrisburg-based district that George Gekas won in 1982, becoming the second Greek-American elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.
11.
George Gekas was the only member of the House to vote against the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990.
12.
George Gekas was one of the House managers in the impeachment trials of Alcee Hastings and President Bill Clinton.
13.
George Gekas was the only Republican incumbent placed in a district with a Democratic incumbent to be defeated for re-election in 2002.
14.
George Gekas continued to reside in Harrisburg until his death on December 16,2021, at the age of 91.