Robert W. Edgar

Robert William " Bob" Edgar (* May 29, 1943 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, † April 23, 2013 in Annandale, Virginia ) was an American politician. Between 1975 and 1987 he represented the State of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Robert Edgar attended the public schools in Springfield and then until 1965, the Lycoming College in Williamsport. This was followed up in 1968 to study theology at Drew University in New Jersey. In the same year he was ordained to the clergy of the United Methodist Church. From 1971 to 1974 he was chaplain at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Politically, Edgar joined the Democratic Party. In the congressional elections of 1974 he was in the seventh election district of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he became the successor of the Republican Lawrence G. Williams on January 3, 1975. After five re- elections, he was able to complete in Congress until January 3, 1987 six legislative periods.

In 1986, Edgar renounced in favor of candidacy for the U.S. Senate on a possible re-election to the House of Representatives, but he was defeated by Republican incumbent Arlen Specter clearly. Between 1990 and 2000 he headed the Claremont School of Theology in California. After that, he was General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States. Subsequently, he served as CEO of the NGO Common Cause. Robert Edgar died April 23, 2013 of a heart attack.