Charles L. Gerlach
Charles Lewis Gerlach (September 14, 1895 – May 5, 1947) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Charles L. Gerlach | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 8th district | |
| In office January 3, 1945 – May 5, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | James Wolfenden |
| Succeeded by | Franklin H. Lichtenwalter |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 9th district | |
| In office January 3, 1939 – January 3, 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Oliver W. Frey |
| Succeeded by | J. Roland Kinzer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 14, 1895 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania |
| Died | May 5, 1947 (aged 51) Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Republican |
Biography
Charles Lewis Gerlach was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1914. He was the organizer, and later president, of a fuel and heating supply company. He was a Republican State committeeman in 1936 and 1937. He was elected to Congress as a Republican in 1938 to the 76th Congress and served until his 1947 death in Allentown.
A confidential 1943 analysis of the House Foreign Affairs Committee by Isaiah Berlin for the British Foreign Office described Gerlach as[1]
A newcomer to the committee. A rugged Isolationist before Pearl Harbour, who voted only for purely defensive measures, such as conscription and arming of United States ships. Though he opposed the original Lend-Lease, he favoured its continuation, but would be difficult to say exactly where he stands on the larger questions of post-war American policy.
References
- Hachey, Thomas E. (Winter 1973–1974). "American Profiles on Capitol Hill: A Confidential Study for the British Foreign Office in 1943" (PDF). Wisconsin Magazine of History. 57 (2): 141–153. JSTOR 4634869. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-21.
Sources
- United States Congress. "Charles L. Gerlach (id: G000135)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.