Representative Alfred John Westland

Alfred John “Jack” Westland (December 14, 1904 – November 3, 1982) was an American politician and accomplished amateur golfer who represented Washington’s Second Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1953 to 1965. A member of the Republican Party, he served six consecutive terms in Congress and participated actively in the legislative process during a significant period in mid‑twentieth‑century American history, representing the interests of his constituents in northwestern Washington State.

Westland was born on December 14, 1904, in Everett, Washington. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, he developed an early connection to the region that would later form the base of his political career. Details of his formal education are not extensively documented in public sources, but by the early 1920s he had already emerged as a notable figure in amateur golf, indicating both a longstanding engagement with competitive sport and a public profile that predated his entry into national politics.

For more than a quarter century, Westland was one of the leading amateur golfers in the United States and abroad. He won the Washington State Amateur three times, first in 1924 and later in 1947 and 1948, and captured the Chicago District Amateur title three times, in 1927, 1929, and 1934. In 1929 he also won the French Amateur, marking him as a competitor of international caliber. He claimed the Western Amateur championship in 1933 and dominated regional play in the Pacific Northwest, winning the Pacific Northwest Amateur four times, in 1938, 1939, 1940, and 1951. His greatest golfing achievement came in 1952, when, at the age of 47, he won the U.S. Amateur over Al Mengert, becoming the oldest golfer ever to win that championship. Westland also finished runner‑up to Francis Ouimet in the 1931 U.S. Amateur. He played on three victorious U.S. Walker Cup teams, in 1932, 1934, and 1953, and later served as non‑playing captain of the winning 1961 Walker Cup team. In recognition of his long and distinguished record in the sport, he was inducted into the Pacific Northwest Golf Association’s Hall of Fame in 1978. As an amateur, he did not compete in the PGA Championship and did not play in The Open Championship.

Westland’s prominence and leadership in golf paralleled his growing involvement in public affairs, and by the early 1950s he turned to elective office. In 1952 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican from Washington’s Second Congressional District, winning the seat previously held by Democrat Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson, who had been elected to the United States Senate. Westland took office on January 3, 1953, at the opening of the 83rd Congress. He was subsequently re‑elected in 1954, 1956, 1958, 1960, and 1962, serving six full terms through January 3, 1965. During his tenure, he contributed to the legislative process at a time marked by the Cold War, the early stages of the space race, and the emergence of the modern civil rights movement.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Westland participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his Washington constituents in national debates. Although not widely associated with a single signature piece of legislation, he took notable positions on key civil rights measures of the era. He voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Civil Rights Act of 1960, and the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as in support of the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished the poll tax in federal elections. These votes placed him among those Republicans who backed federal action to secure voting rights and equal protection during a period of intense national division over civil rights policy.

Westland’s congressional career came to an end in the Democratic landslide of 1964. In that year’s election he was defeated for re‑election by Democrat Lloyd Meeds, bringing to a close twelve years of service in the House. After leaving Congress in January 1965, Westland withdrew from elective politics. He subsequently moved from Washington State to California, where he resided during his later years. He continued to be remembered both for his legislative record and for his exceptional accomplishments in amateur golf.

Alfred John “Jack” Westland died on November 3, 1982, in California. His life and career bridged two distinct arenas of American public life—national politics and competitive sport—and he remains notable as both a six‑term Republican representative from Washington and one of the most successful amateur golfers of his generation.