John F. Dockweiler

John F. Dockweiler
Dockweiler c. 1938
30th District Attorney of Los Angeles County
In office
December 2, 1940 – January 31, 1943
Preceded byBuron Fitts
Succeeded byFrederick N. Howser
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 16th district
In office
March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byLeland M. Ford
Personal details
BornJohn Francis Dockweiler
(1895-09-19)September 19, 1895
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 31, 1943(1943-01-31) (aged 47)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeCalvary Cemetery, Los Angeles
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Angelia Irene McManus
​
​
(m. 1935)​
Parents
EducationLoyola College of Los Angeles (A.B.)
University of Southern California (J.D.)
Harvard Law School

John Francis Dockweiler (September 19, 1895 – January 31, 1943) was an American lawyer and politician who served three terms as a U.S. Representative from California from 1933 to 1939, and as the 30th district attorney of Los Angeles County from 1940 until his death in 1943.

Biography

Senator Burton K. Wheeler met by members of the Roosevelt campaign in California, 1932
(L-R): J. F. T. O'Connor, John F. Dockweiler, Burton K. Wheeler, Isidore B. Dockweiler, and Reginaldo del Valle.

John Francis Dockweiler was born in Los Angeles to Isidore Bernard Dockweiler and Gertrude Reeve. As a youth, he tried his hand at acting and theatrical pursuits, but his career never gained momentum.[1] Dockweiler attended parochial schools. He graduated from the Loyola College of Los Angeles in 1918 and from the University of Southern California in 1921. He attended the law department of Harvard University. He was admitted to the bar in 1921, and commenced law practice in Los Angeles in 1922.[2]

Congress

Dockweiler was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-third, Seventy-fourth, and Seventy-fifth Congresses (March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939). He was not a candidate for renomination in the primaries in 1938, but was instead an unsuccessful primary candidate for governor of California, losing to state senator Culbert Olson. In the general election, he was an unsuccessful independent candidate for reelection to the Seventy-sixth Congress.

Later career and death

Dockweiler resumed the practice of law and ran for Los Angeles County District Attorney in 1940, defeating three-term incumbent Buron Fitts[3] by a margin of over 260,000 votes.[4] Dockweiler served in that office from December 2, 1940, until his death from pneumonia on January 31, 1943.[5] He was interred in Calvary Cemetery (New Calvary Catholic Cemetery) in East Los Angeles.

Electoral history

1932 United States House of Representatives elections in California[6]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John F. Dockweiler 70,333 54.9
Republican Clyde Woodworth 57,718 45.1
Total votes 128,051 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic win (new seat)
1934 United States House of Representatives elections in California[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John F. Dockweiler (inc.) 119,332 100.0
Turnout
Democratic hold
1936 United States House of Representatives elections in California[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic John F. Dockweiler (inc.) 90,986 57.7
Republican Raymond V. Darby 66,583 42.3
Total votes 157,569 100.0
Turnout  
Democratic hold
1938 Democratic primary results, California governor[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Culbert L. Olson 483,483 41.97%
Democratic John F. Dockweiler 218,342 18.96%
Democratic Daniel C. Murphy 137,740 11.96%
Democratic Raymond L. Haight 125,012 10.85%
Democratic Herbert C. Legg 80,586 7.00%
Democratic J. F. T. O'Connor 71,999 6.25%
Democratic William H. Neblett 21,219 1.84%
Democratic Teodoro Antonio Tomasini 10,142 0.88%
Democratic Frank F. Merriam (write-in) 3,340 0.29%
Total votes 1,151,863 100.00%
1938 United States House of Representatives elections in California[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Leland M. Ford 97,407 62.8
Democratic John F. Dockweiler (write-in) 32,863 21.2
Townsend Ted E. Felt 16,045 10.3
Progressive Party (United States, 1924) J. Barton Huthins 6,643 4.3
Communist La Rue McCormick 2,070 1.3
Total votes 155,028 100.0
Turnout  
Republican gain from Democratic

References

  1. ↑ "Dockweiler campaign for District Attorney".
  2. ↑ Thurman, V. E. (1940). Who's Who in the New Deal (California ed.). Los Angeles: New Deal Historical Society. p. 27. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  3. ↑ "Dockweiler Beats Fitts for District Attorney". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. 6 November 1940. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "County Vote Tabulation Completed by Kerr". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. 8 November 1940. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Dockweiler campaign for District Attorney".
  6. ↑ 1932 election results
  7. ↑ 1934 election results
  8. ↑ 1936 election results
  9. ↑ Cite error: The named reference primary was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ↑ 1938 election results

External resources

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Federal government of the United States.

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