Where in Trenton Did George Hw Bush Live

John Dingell was a youthful 29 years old when he was first sworn into a seat in Congress, and worked with 11 presidents, including John Kennedy. Above Dingell, his wife and Congressional successor Debbie Dingell pause for a photo with Trenton Mayor Kyle Stack at Dingell's 90th birthday party last year.

     A reader of the Trenton Trib claimed that nothing has ever been written about President George H. W. Bush living in Trenton at one time. Actually there has been, when a story about the Grosse Ile Naval Base was published in the Trib last year.

     Bush served on Grosse Ile and lived with his new bride, Barbara, in Trenton circa 1945-46, after being discharged from the service.

     The house was on Parkwood Street, a cute home that hasn't changed much with a small second floor that acted as an upper flat. Politics aside, it's with a sense of pride that a former president once resided in your hometown.

     The president of the United States is a rare individual — we've only had 44 of them. Even though Donald Trump is considered the 45^th president, there have actually only been 44 different people who have served as president. This is because Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms.

     Besides having a former president as a resident we also have another great American historical figure who has been a resident for many years. It's a shame when I ask younger people who John Dingell is and they don't know. To educate them, John Dingell is the longest-serving congressman in United States history — serving from 1955-2015. And he was our congressman.

     Recently I was privileged to be attending a surprise birthday party for John Dingell's son Chris, when I saw John sitting quietly away from the crowd. Knowing John personally for more than 40 years I suddenly had an urge to ask for his autograph — then I began talking myself out of it and didn't want to disturb him, but then I thought, "This man is an American icon, how can I not ask?"

     So I went up and asked, and always the gentleman he cheerfully complied and penned his signature personalized to me just above his picture of himself on the front of the cover of the Trenton Trib. Imagine the events John has experienced in his years in Washington. As a teenager working as a page, he was in the room when Franklin Roosevelt mouthed his famous speech the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, and he was also in the joint session of Congress when George W. Bush addressed the day after 9-11, two of the most pivotal moments in American history.

     Several months back I happened to come across an old 1950s TV game show called "I've Got a Secret." Lo and behold the mystery guest was our John Dingell. His "secret" was that he was the youngest congressman serving in the U.S. House at age 29. That was 1955 and John was awarded the title of "Baby of the House of Representatives," which he held until 1959. Little did anyone know that John would retain his seat to become the "Dean of the House of Representatives" from 1995-2015, therefore becoming the longest-serving member of the House in American history.

     To use a sports comparison, John Dingell was the Cal Ripken Jr. of the House of Representatives, emblematic of an individual who showed up to work and did his job well. John wasn't a back bencher during his years in Congress and often could be found in a leadership position, such as chairman of the House Energy Committee for many years.

     There's no doubt that John could have been elected or served in higher office or political capacity, but I believe he thoroughly relished his years in Congress and the people of his district. This is evidenced in what people have told me, when he visited classrooms, or like my own parents when they visited the Capitol and how accommodating John was — they still talk about it often.

      Whatever laws enacted or put into action during John's many years in Congress are left to the individual to judge. What is important to me is knowing that John served longer than anyone in history and when he left office his good reputation remained standing; with the political climate of these days it is worth noting.

     Those who seek or hold political office are often viewed with skepticism, but they must be given credit for their hard work and resilience, realizing that no matter how benevolent or earnest their motives, a sizable segment of the population will disapprove of their actions.

     In other words, when you seek political office you often put your backside on the line. Teddy Roosevelt made a speech in 1910 entitled "Man in the Arena" and if I may, I would like to dedicate a few excerpts from this speech to John Dingell that describes his years of service:

     "It is not the critic who counts; the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the Arena: who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause."

     Tony Mazzella welcomes readers to friend him on Facebook, where he frequently shares recollections about some of the interesting people and businesses in Trenton's past.

Where in Trenton Did George Hw Bush Live

Source: https://trentontrib.com/tony-mazzella-dingell-was-in-the-arena-for-more-than-6-decades.html

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