Newton Steers
Encyclopedia
Newton Ivan Steers, Jr. a Republican
, was a U.S. Congressman
who represented Maryland's 8th congressional district
from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 1979.
, and attended the White Plains, New York
, public schools. He graduated from the Hotchkiss School
of Lakeville, Connecticut
, in 1935, and received a B.A.
from Yale University
in 1939. He obtained a Certificate of Advanced Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1943, and his J.D.
degree from the Yale Law School
in 1948.
, a half sister of the writer Gore Vidal
and a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
. They had three children, Hugh Auchincloss Steers (1963 — 1995), Ivan Steers, and Burr Steers
(born 1965). They were divorced in 1974.
bar (1958), and later to the District of Columbia bar (1967), and worked with the DuPont
company from 1939 to 1941. During World War II
, he served in United States Army Air Corps
from 1941 to 1946. After the war, he worked with AF Materials Corporation|GAF Corp.] from 1948 to 1951, and the United States Atomic Energy Commission
from 1951 to 1953. He also became president of several investment companies in New York from 1953 through 1965.
In 1962, Steers entered politics and was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1962 to the 88th Congress
. He served as Maryland Republican State chairman from 1964 to 1966, and as Maryland State insurance commissioner from 1967 to 1970. In 1970, Steers became Maryland Assistant Secretary of Licensing and Regulation and a member of the Maryland State Senate
, serving from 1971 to 1977. He served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention
in 1964
and 1984
.
In 1976, Steers was elected as a Republican
to the 95th Congress
over Democrat Lanny Davis
and independent Robin Ficker
, serving from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 1979. He ran for reelection in 1978 to the 96th Congress
and lost to Democrat Michael D. Barnes
, and unsuccessfully challenged Barnes in 1980. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for election as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
in 1982, losing to Democrat J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
Steers was a resident of Bethesda, Maryland
, until his death there in 1993.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, was a U.S. Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
who represented Maryland's 8th congressional district
Maryland's 8th congressional district
Maryland's 8th congressional district elects a representative to the United States House of Representatives every two years. The district mostly consists of the larger part of Montgomery County, also including a small portion of Prince George's County...
from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 1979.
Early life
Steers was born in Glen Ridge, New JerseyGlen Ridge, New Jersey
Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,527. In 2010, Glen Ridge was ranked as the 38th Best Place to live by New Jersey Monthly magazine....
, and attended the White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
, public schools. He graduated from the Hotchkiss School
Hotchkiss School
The Hotchkiss School is an independent, coeducational American college preparatory boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school enrolls students in grades 9 through 12 and a small number of postgraduates...
of Lakeville, Connecticut
Lakeville, Connecticut
Lakeville is a village and census-designated place in the town of Salisbury in Litchfield County, Connecticut, on Lake Wononskopomuc. The village includes Lakeville Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The district represents about of the village center...
, in 1935, and received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1939. He obtained a Certificate of Advanced Meteorology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1943, and his J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
in 1948.
Personal life
In 1957 Steers married Nina Gore Auchincloss (born 1935), the daughter of Hugh D. AuchinclossHugh D. Auchincloss
Hugh Dudley Auchincloss, Jr. was an American stockbroker and lawyer who became the second husband of Janet Lee Bouvier, the mother of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.-Biography:...
, a half sister of the writer Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality...
and a stepsister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
. They had three children, Hugh Auchincloss Steers (1963 — 1995), Ivan Steers, and Burr Steers
Burr Steers
Burr Gore Steers is an American actor, screenwriter and director.-Personal life:Steers was born in Washington, D.C. His father, Newton Ivan Steers, Jr. , was a Republican congressman from Maryland. His mother, Nina Gore Auchincloss , was the daughter of stockbroker and lawyer Hugh D...
(born 1965). They were divorced in 1974.
Career
Steers was admitted to the New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
bar (1958), and later to the District of Columbia bar (1967), and worked with the DuPont
DuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
company from 1939 to 1941. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
from 1941 to 1946. After the war, he worked with AF Materials Corporation|GAF Corp.] from 1948 to 1951, and the United States Atomic Energy Commission
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by Congress to foster and control the peace time development of atomic science and technology. President Harry S...
from 1951 to 1953. He also became president of several investment companies in New York from 1953 through 1965.
In 1962, Steers entered politics and was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1962 to the 88th Congress
88th United States Congress
The Eighty-eighth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1965, during the last year of...
. He served as Maryland Republican State chairman from 1964 to 1966, and as Maryland State insurance commissioner from 1967 to 1970. In 1970, Steers became Maryland Assistant Secretary of Licensing and Regulation and a member of the Maryland State Senate
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
, serving from 1971 to 1977. He served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
in 1964
1964 Republican National Convention
The 1964 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States took place in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, on July 13 to July 16, 1964. Before 1964, there had only been one national Republican convention on the West Coast...
and 1984
1984 Republican National Convention
The 1984 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened on August 20 to August 23, 1984, at Reunion Arena in downtown Dallas, Texas. The convention nominated the incumbent Ronald Reagan of California for President of the United States and incumbent George H. W...
.
In 1976, Steers was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the 95th Congress
95th United States Congress
The Ninety-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 1979, during the first two years...
over Democrat Lanny Davis
Lanny Davis
Lanny J. Davis is an American lawyer and lobbyist. From 1996 to 1998, he served as a special counsel to President Bill Clinton.-Background:...
and independent Robin Ficker
Robin Ficker
Robin Ficker is an American attorney, real estate broker, political activist, and sports heckler who lives in Boyds, Maryland.-Education and professional career:...
, serving from January 3, 1977, until January 3, 1979. He ran for reelection in 1978 to the 96th Congress
96th United States Congress
The Ninety-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1979 to January 3, 1981, during the last two years...
and lost to Democrat Michael D. Barnes
Michael D. Barnes
Michael Darr Barnes represented the eighth district of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987 and was the president of the Brady Campaign gun control organization from 2000 through 2006.After serving in the Marine Corps , being discharged with the rank of...
, and unsuccessfully challenged Barnes in 1980. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for election as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
The Lieutenant Governor of Maryland is the second highest ranking official in the executive branch of the state government of Maryland in the United States. He or she is elected on the same ticket as the Governor of Maryland and must meet the same qualifications.The current Lieutenant Governor is...
in 1982, losing to Democrat J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
J. Joseph Curran, Jr. is an American politician and the longest serving elected Attorney General in Maryland history. His son-in-law, Martin J. O'Malley, is the Governor of Maryland.-Background:...
Steers was a resident of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, until his death there in 1993.