Joseph P. Kolter

Joseph P. Kolter

Joseph Paul Kolter (born September 3, 1926 in McDonald, Trumbull County, Ohio; † September 8, 2019 in Hershey, Pennsylvania^[1]) was a U.S. politician. Between 1983 and 1993 he represented the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

Joseph Kolter attended New Brighton High School in Pennsylvania until 1944. Between 1944 and 1947 he served in the US Army. There he experienced the final phase of the Second World War. He then continued his education at Geneva College in Beaver Falls until 1950. In the following years he worked as an accountant and teacher. At the same time, he embarked on a political career as a member of the Democratic Party. From 1961 to 1965 he was a member of the New Brighton City Council; between 1969 and 1982 he sat as a representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

In the 1982 congressional election, Kolter was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., in Pennsylvania’s Fourth Congressional District, succeeding Republican Charles F. Dougherty on January 3, 1983. After four re-elections, he was able to serve five terms in Congress until January 3, 1993. In 1992, he was not nominated for re-election by his party.

Later, his involvement in the Congressional Post Office Scandal was revealed. He was sentenced to six months in prison for corruption. The other Congressman involved was Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois. This affair ended Kolter’s political career.

Kolter died in September 2019, five days after his 93rd birthday.

Itemization

1. ↑ OBITUARY Joseph P. Kolter

Web links

• Joseph P. Kolter in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Joseph P. Kolter in the Notable Names Database (English)