US Congressman. He served in the United States House of Representatives from January 1953 until January 1973, as a representative from Washington state's 1st Congressional District. Named for his maternal grandfather, former Seattle Mayor Thomas T. Minor, he spent his early career in the real estate and banking fields. He quit his position as a financial trust officer from Seattle National Bank in 1930, moving to the Lowman and Hanford Stationary Company where he rose to the position of company president five years later. In 1949 he was elected to his first of two terms as president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Highly regarded for his many civic contributions, he was named First Citizen of the Year for Seattle and King County in January 1951, before being elected to Congress the following year. As a member of Congress he was a strong advocate for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, improving maritime working conditions, banning foreign fish imports, promoting commercial ship building within United States, and establishing Seattle as a major international and domestic airline center. During his 20 year service in Congress, he served on a number of committees including: the Fish and Wildlife Subcommittee, the House Science and Astronautics Subcommittee, and the Advanced Research and Technology Subcommittee. At home he was active in a number of community affairs, serving as a board member for the Seattle Trust and Savings Bank, the Northern Life Insurance Company, the Seattle Arts Museum and the Seattle Symphony. In 1966 he was elected to his eighth term in the House of Representatives, winning 80 percent of the popular vote, and was considered as a strong potential running mate for Richard Nixon on the 1968 Republican presidential ticket. During his final term in Congress, he helped initiate and pass legislation creating the North Cascades National Park in Washington state. He died shortly following his retirement from Congress while vacationing in southern California.