24 Facts About Thomas Pelly

Thomas Pelly served as a US Representative from the state of Washington between 1953 and 1973.

Thomas Pelly attended Summit School and the University School in Victoria, British Columbia, before taking classes at the Hoosac School in Hoosick, New York.

Thomas Pelly renounced his British citizenship at the age of 21.

Thomas Pelly worked various jobs: first with the West and Wheeler Real Estate Company and then with the Seattle National Bank where he was eventually promoted to trust officer in the late 1920s, after joining as a foot messenger.

Thomas Pelly married Mary Virginia Taylor in 1927, after meeting her on Bainbridge Island, where his family had a house.

Thomas Pelly first ran for public office in 1932, when he contested a seat in the Washington House of Representatives.

Thomas Pelly was active in the community, serving as vice chair of the Seattle Community Chest and as a director of the Seattle Symphony, the Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Trust and Savings Bank, the Olympia State Bank and Trust Company, the Shaw and Borden Company, Johnson's Inc of Spokane, the Lakeside School, and the Helen Bush School.

Thomas Pelly was elected president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce in 1949, focusing his efforts on this position.

Thomas Pelly worked to negotiate a purchase agreement between the city and Puget Sound Power and Light and organized a committee to agree the purchase of a ferryboat system between the Black Ball Line and Governor Arthur B Langlie.

Thomas Pelly often traveled through the state to promote Seattle and attended most sessions of the state legislature.

Thomas Pelly was honored as the First Citizen of the Year by the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors on January 24,1951, for his work at the chamber of commerce.

Thomas Pelly was first elected to the United States House of Representatives on November 4,1952, as the representative for the 1st district.

Thomas Pelly ran as a Republican, receiving 51.37 percent of the vote in the Eisenhower sweep.

Thomas Pelly's district was the largest by population and contained Sand Point Naval Air Station, Fort Lawton and the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, as well as Boeing, the Keyport Torpedo Station, and the Bangor Ammunition Depot.

Thomas Pelly focused on the issues of fisheries and environmental protection during his 20 years in office.

Thomas Pelly was a member of the House merchant marine and fisheries committee and continuously worked to improve working conditions for merchant marines.

Thomas Pelly worked with Senator Warren Magnuson to impose sanctions on South American countries who impounded American fishing vessels that violated their claimed territorial waters.

Thomas Pelly introduced a bill to make the US Maritime Administration an independent agency, and supported the July 1965 establishment of the Joint Oceanographic Research Group in Seattle.

Thomas Pelly was a member of the House science and astronautics committee, the only one from the Northwest.

Thomas Pelly's goal was to review how foreign aid borrowing was occurring and allow the appropriations committee to authorize the funds.

Thomas Pelly voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,1960,1964, and 1968, as well as the 24th Amendment to the US Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Thomas Pelly voted in favor of Medicare and Medicaid, and was one of 20 House Republicans to vote in favor of the repeal of section of the Taft-Hartley Act, which would have ended right-to-work laws.

Thomas Pelly reportedly considered running for governor in the 1964 election and in 1966, he was the preferred vice presidential candidate for Richard Nixon amongst state Republicans, although he never ran for any other office.

Thomas Pelly died on November 21,1973, in Ojai, California, while on holiday.