Cadillac statesman to be buried at home

One of Cadillac’s most distinguished citizens, former Congressman Guy Vander Jagt, 75, succumbed to a long battle with cancer Friday at a Washington, D.C. hospice.

The Cadillac native represented West Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 26 years and will come home for his final resting-place.

Vander Jagt was recognized as one of the finest orators in the U.S. Congress. Those skills were first nurtured at Cadillac High School under the tutelage of speech teacher Matthew Van Ostenburg. Vander Jagt’s exceptional talent led President Ronald Reagan to select him to deliver the keynote address at the Republican National Convention in Detroit in 1980.

After graduating from CHS in 1949, Vander Jagt attended Hope College where he further honed his communication abilities. Following his graduation from Hope, Vander Jagt attended Yale University where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity Degree. In 1960, he earned a law degree from the University of Michigan.

Vander Jagt’s powerful ability to address a crowd, his ease in the political arena and capacity for listening with understanding were keys to his political success, according to long-time personal friend Barbara Brehm of Cadillac.

Brehm’s husband, Marshall, managed Vander Jagt’s first political campaign, a run for State Senate in 1964.

“We thought he had great prospects,” Brehm said. “He had a wonderful mind.”

Vander Jagt lived up to early expectations. He was the longest serving political committee chairman in American history, serving as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for 18 years. He was an architect of the international trade legislation of the 1980s, and focused on environmental issues.

The great communicator was also a loyal friend, said Casey Wondergem of Grand Rapids. Wondergem managed Vander Jagt’s first Congressional campaign in 1966. When Vander Jagt needed to raise campaign money, Wondergem came up with the fundraiser known as “Fry for Guy.” For 20 years, the bratwurst dinner was an annual summer fixture on the Michigan political scene.

Vander Jagt’s legacy stems from his solid commitments, according to Wondergem.

“He would want us to remember him as a great American, a wonderful Christian and someone who cared deeply for his country,” he said.

His colleagues in Congress also remembered Vander Jagt Friday.

“As members talked on the House floor today, they remembered the graciousness and dignity he showed all members, regardless of their political ideology,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland.

In 1992, Hoekstra defeated Vander Jagt in the Republican primary and went on to win the seat.

“It was a passing of eras,” Hoekstra said. “Guy made sure it was a smooth transition and that everything would go as smoothly as possible. He was always looking forward and never looked back”

In a written statement, U.S. Rep. Dave Camp, R-Midland said, “Guy will be deeply missed. He was a rare breed who, despite running the Republican House campaign committee for nearly 20 years, maintained great friendships across the aisle. His compassion was instantly recognizable to all who met him, and it was his intelligence that earned him the respect of his colleagues.”

After leaving office, Vander Jagt had been a public speaker and lobbyist. He was of counsel at the Washington-based law firm Baker-Hostetler, serving as one of the leaders of the firm’s National Federal Policy Group.

He is survived by his wife Carol and daughter Virginia.

Funeral services are at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 28 at Dimnet Chapel on the Hope College campus in Holland. A reception is planned afterwards at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. There will be a private burial in Cadillac.

sbarber@cadillacnews.com (231) 775-NEWS (6397)

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Guy A. Vander Jagt

Born in Cadillac, Mich., Aug. 26, 1931

Graduated from Cadillac High School, 1949

Degrees: B.A., Hope College, Holland, Mich., 1953;

B.D., Yale University, New Haven, Conn., 1955;

Bonn University, Rotary Fellowship, 1956;

J.D., University of Michigan, 1960

Lawyer, private practice, Warner, Norcross and Judd

Member of the Michigan state senate, 1965-1966

Elected simultaneously as a Republican to the Eighty-ninth and to the Ninetieth Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of U.S. Rep. Robert P. Griffin, and reelected to the 12 succeeding Congresses.

Funeral services: Thursday, 2 p.m. June 28 at Dimnet Chapel on the Hope College campus in Holland. A reception is planned afterwards at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. There will be a private burial in Cadillac.

Source: United States House of Representatives