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Walter Holden Capps (May 5, 1934 – October 28, 1997) was an American academic and politician. He served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing California's 22nd congressional district from January 1997 until his death nine months later.
Walter Capps | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 22nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – October 28, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Andrea Seastrand |
| Succeeded by | Lois Capps |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 5, 1934 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1997 (aged 63) Reston, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Santa Barbara Cemetery Santa Barbara, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Education
editCapps received both a master's degree and PhD from Yale Divinity School.[1] On May 30, 1997, Capps received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Theology at Uppsala University, Sweden.[2]
Academic career
editBefore entering politics, Capps taught for more than thirty years at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a professor of religious studies he helped define the field, and cataloged the growth and changes in his 1995 book Religious Studies: The Making of a Discipline. An anti-war activist during the 1960s, he later initiated a nationally renowned course titled "Religion and the Impact of Vietnam" in 1979.
Political career
editCapps lost an election to Andrea Seastrand for the 22nd district in California in 1994, which was a landslide year for the Republicans, but he ran again in the following election. While driving home from a campaign event during the summer of 1996, Capps' vehicle was struck by a drunk supporter. Capps was seriously injured and was unable to actively campaign until the final few weeks of the race. During his absence from the campaign, his opponent, graciously, didn't make his health an issue.[citation needed] Ultimately, despite his absence from the campaign trail, Capps won, even as Bob Dole edged Bill Clinton in the district.
Death
editOn October 28, 1997, Capps collapsed after suffering a heart attack at Dulles International Airport, and was pronounced dead at a hospital in Reston, Virginia.[3] Jesse Jackson attended his funeral. Capps was succeeded by his widow, Lois Capps, who won in a special election in the spring of 1998. Subsequent legislation by Congresswoman Capps has mandated the presence of automated external defibrillators in public places.
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Andrea Seastrand | 102,987 | 49.27% | |
| Democratic | Walter Capps | 101,424 | 48.53% | |
| Libertarian | David L. Bersohn | 4,597 | 2.20% | |
| Total votes | 209,008 | 100.0% | ||
| Turnout | ||||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Walter Capps | 118,299 | 48.5% | |||
| Republican | Andrea Seastrand (incumbent) | 107,987 | 44.3% | |||
| Independent | Steven Wheeler | 9,845 | 4.0% | |||
| Reform | Richard Porter | 3,975 | 1.6% | |||
| Libertarian | David Bersohn | 2,233 | 0.9% | |||
| Natural Law | Dawn Tomastik | 1,847 | 0.7% | |||
| Total votes | 244,186 | 100.0% | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Educational History - Capps Center". www.cappscenter.ucsb.edu. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ "Honorary doctorates - Uppsala University, Sweden". www.uu.se. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
- ^ Gray, Jerry (October 29, 1997). "A California Congressman Dies After a Collapse". The New York Times. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
- ^ "1994 election results" (PDF).
- ^ "1996 election results" (PDF).
External links
edit- United States Congress. "Walter Capps (id: c000134)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Walter Capps at Find a Grave
- Appearances on C-SPAN