Representative Arthur Philip Lamneck

Arthur Philip Lamneck (March 12, 1880 – April 23, 1944) was a four-term U.S. Representative from Ohio, serving in the United States Congress from 1931 to 1939. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented his constituents during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process over four consecutive terms in office.

Lamneck was born in Port Washington, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, on March 12, 1880, the son of Philip and Mary Lamneck. He attended the public schools of Port Washington and completed his secondary education at Port Washington High School, from which he graduated in 1897. His early life in a small Ohio community and his education in the local school system provided the foundation for his later involvement in business and public service.

After finishing high school, Lamneck entered private business. By 1907 he had moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he engaged in the sheet metal business. He remained in this line of work from 1907 to 1929, building a career in the trades and gaining experience as a businessman in the state capital. His growing prominence in Columbus led him into local politics. Lamneck served as a member of the Columbus City Council from 1913 to 1921, participating in municipal governance during a period of urban growth and reform. His role on the council helped establish his reputation as a Democratic leader in the city. Further reflecting his standing in the party, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1924, taking part in the national deliberations of his party.

Lamneck’s local and party service paved the way for his election to Congress. He was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-second Congress and was subsequently reelected to the three succeeding Congresses, serving from March 4, 1931, to January 3, 1939. His tenure in the House of Representatives coincided with the Great Depression and the early years of the New Deal, a transformative era in federal policy and economic recovery efforts. As a member of the House of Representatives during this critical period, Arthur Philip Lamneck participated in the democratic process at the national level and represented the interests of his Ohio constituents while contributing to the legislative work of the era.

After four terms in office, Lamneck sought to continue his congressional career but was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth Congress. He again sought federal office in 1940, running for election to the Seventy-seventh Congress, but was not successful. Remaining active in public affairs, he later sought municipal office once more and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Columbus in 1943, reflecting his continued engagement in civic and political life even after leaving Congress.

Following the end of his congressional service in January 1939, Lamneck returned to private enterprise. He engaged in the wholesale coal business in Columbus from 1939 until his death, drawing on his long experience in business and commerce in the city. He continued to reside in Columbus during these years, maintaining his ties to the community where he had built both his business and political careers.

Arthur Philip Lamneck died in Columbus, Ohio, on April 23, 1944, from dropsy. He was interred in Port Washington Cemetery in his hometown of Port Washington, Ohio, bringing his life full circle to the community where he had been born and educated.