United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & Archives
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DUNCAN, John James

DUNCAN, John James
Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives
DUNCAN, John James
1919–1988

Office

Representative

State/Territory

Tennessee

Party

Republican

Congress(es)

89th (1965–1967), 90th (1967–1969), 91st (1969–1971), 92nd (1971–1973), 93rd (1973–1975), 94th (1975–1977), 95th (1977–1979), 96th (1979–1981), 97th (1981–1983), 98th (1983–1985), 99th (1985–1987), 100th (1987–1989)

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Concise Biography

DUNCAN, John James, (father of John J. Duncan, Jr.), a Representative from Tennessee; born in Huntsville, Scott County, Tenn., March 24, 1919; attended the public schools in Huntsville, Tenn.; B.S., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., 1942; L.L.B., Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn., 1947; United States Army, 1942-1945; lawyer, private practice; assistant attorney general, Knoxville, Tenn., 1947-1956, and law director, 1956-1959; mayor, Knoxville, Tenn., 1959-1965; State commander, American Legion, 1954; delegate, Republican National Conventions, 1960, 1968 and 1984; elected as a Republican to the Eighty-ninth and to the eleven succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1965-June 21, 1988); died on June 21, 1988, in Knoxville, Tenn; interment in Duncan Cemetery, Huntsville, Tenn.

View Record in the Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress

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External Research Collections

Tennessee State Library and Archives

Knoxville, TN
Microfilm reels: In the Commissioner's Office Files, 1909-1980, Tennessee Department of Human Services, 4 reels. Persons represented include John J. Duncan.

University of Tennessee
Modern Political Archives, The Howard H. Baker, Jr. Center for Public Policy

Knoxville, TN
Papers: ca. 1965-1988, 451 linear feet. The John J. Duncan, Sr. papers are divided into 10 series: Political, Case Files, Office Files, Legislative, Photographs, Subject Files, Miscellaneous, Ephemera, Personal, and Books. Most of the material in the collection can be found in the Case Files, Office Files, and Legislative. The papers cover Duncan's career as a U. S. Representative during the years from 1965-1988. Formats of materials in the collection include correspondence, reports, notes and memoranda, press clippings, photographs, publications, memorabilia, and many others. The papers document the workings of Duncan's administration both in his Washington, D. C. office and his local offices in each county of his district. A finding aid is available in the repository and online.
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Bibliography / Further Reading

Ralph Nader Congress Project. Citizens Look at Congress: John J. Duncan, Republican Representative from Tennessee. Washington, D. C.: Grossman Publishers, 1972.

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Office of the Historian: history@mail.house.gov
Office of Art & Archives, Office of the Clerk: art@mail.house.gov, archives@mail.house.gov