Otis G. Pike
Encyclopedia
Otis Grey Pike is a retired Democratic
member of the United States House of Representatives
from New York
.
. He served in the United States Marine Corps
in the Pacific as a Dive Bomber and Night Fighter pilot from 1942 until 1946. He graduated from Princeton University
in 1946 and Columbia Law School
in 1948.
from January 3, 1961 until January 3, 1979. As a Democrat, it is interesting to note that the NY 1st Congressional District in that same election gave the Republican candidate for President, Richard Nixon, the highest percentage of votes of any Congressional District in the country. He was a member of the House Armed Services Committee and headed the Congressional Special Select Committee on Intelligence, the House version of the Senate Committee on Intelligence headed by Senator Frank Church. The House of Representatives voted 246-124 to direct that the Pike report not be released if not certified by the President not to contain classified information. However, the report was published by the Village Voice. In his final years in Congress, Pike served on the Ways and Means Committee.
During his nine terms in Congress, he was a proponent of pro-environmental legislation including the creation of the Fire Island National Seashore
on Long Island, which now includes the Otis G. Pike Wilderness Area. In early 1965, at a student meeting at Suffolk County Community College, he said that only revolution would result in a change of government in South Africa. At the same meeting, he also stated that "politicians keep their ear so close to the ground that an ant can jump in" referring to their ability to know what their constituents are thinking. He decided not to seek a 10th term in 1978 and retired from Congress in January, 1979.
, where he continues to practice his favorite hobby, boating.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the United States House of Representatives
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...
from New York
New 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...
.
Early life
Pike was born in Riverhead, New YorkRiverhead (town), New York
The town of Riverhead is in Suffolk County, New York, on the north shore of Long Island. The population was 33,506 at the 2010 census. The name signifies that the mouth of the Peconic River is in this town...
. He served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in the Pacific as a Dive Bomber and Night Fighter pilot from 1942 until 1946. He graduated from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in 1946 and Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in 1948.
Public office
Pike was first elected to public office in the Town of Riverhead as a Justice of the Peace then ran for Congress from the 1st Congressional District of New York in 1958, an election which he lost. Two years later, he was elected to Congress in 1960 and represented New York's 1st congressional districtNew York's 1st congressional district
The 1st Congressional District of New York is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in eastern Long Island. It includes most of Central and Eastern Suffolk County, including most of Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,...
from January 3, 1961 until January 3, 1979. As a Democrat, it is interesting to note that the NY 1st Congressional District in that same election gave the Republican candidate for President, Richard Nixon, the highest percentage of votes of any Congressional District in the country. He was a member of the House Armed Services Committee and headed the Congressional Special Select Committee on Intelligence, the House version of the Senate Committee on Intelligence headed by Senator Frank Church. The House of Representatives voted 246-124 to direct that the Pike report not be released if not certified by the President not to contain classified information. However, the report was published by the Village Voice. In his final years in Congress, Pike served on the Ways and Means Committee.
During his nine terms in Congress, he was a proponent of pro-environmental legislation including the creation of the Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island National Seashore
Fire Island National Seashore is a United States National Seashore that protects a section of Fire Island, an approximately long barrier island separated from Long Island by the Great South Bay....
on Long Island, which now includes the Otis G. Pike Wilderness Area. In early 1965, at a student meeting at Suffolk County Community College, he said that only revolution would result in a change of government in South Africa. At the same meeting, he also stated that "politicians keep their ear so close to the ground that an ant can jump in" referring to their ability to know what their constituents are thinking. He decided not to seek a 10th term in 1978 and retired from Congress in January, 1979.
Post congress
After his retirement from Congress, Pike was a syndicated columnist for Newhouse Newspapers from 1979 to 1999.Family
Pike has been married twice. In 1946 he married Doris Orth (1923–1996), with whom he had three children: Lois Pike Eyre, a graphic artist; Douglas Pike, a journalist and one-time congressional candidate; and Robert D. Pike (1953–2010), an attorney and entrepreneur. In 2002 Pike married Barbe Bonjour. They reside in Vero Beach, FloridaVero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
, where he continues to practice his favorite hobby, boating.