Representative James Fred Hastings

James Fred Hastings (April 10, 1926 – October 24, 2014) was an American radio station executive and Republican politician who represented New York in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1976. Over four terms in Congress, from 1969 to 1977, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in New York.

Hastings was born on April 10, 1926, in Olean, Cattaraugus County, New York. He was educated in local schools and graduated from Allegany Central School in 1943. Shortly after completing high school, during the final years of World War II, he joined the United States Navy. He served in the Navy until 1946, when he returned to western New York at the conclusion of his military service.

After returning home from the Navy in 1946, Hastings initially worked as a carpenter before entering the private sector in sales. He became a sales representative for Procter & Gamble, gaining experience in business and marketing. Over time he expanded his involvement in local enterprises. From 1952 to 1966 he served as manager and vice president of radio station WHDL in Olean, New York, establishing himself as a radio station executive. Concurrently, from 1964 to 1966, he was national advertising manager for the Times Herald newspaper in Olean. He was also a partner in the real estate and insurance firm of Hastings & Jewell, further broadening his business interests in the region.

Hastings’s public career began at the local level. He served as a member of the Allegany Town Board from 1953 to 1962, participating in town governance and local policymaking. In addition to his legislative role on the board, he was the town’s police court justice for five years, presiding over local judicial matters. Building on this local experience, he was elected to the New York State Assembly from Cattaraugus County, serving from 1963 to 1965 in the 174th and 175th New York State Legislatures. He then advanced to the New York State Senate, where he served from 1966 to 1968 in the 176th and 177th New York State Legislatures. During this period he also became active in state and national Republican politics and was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1968 and 1972.

Hastings was elected as a Republican to the 91st, 92nd, 93rd, and 94th United States Congresses, holding office in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 1969, to January 20, 1976. His service in Congress thus spanned four terms, during which he represented New York in Washington at a time marked by the Vietnam War, the civil rights era’s aftermath, and significant economic and political changes in the United States. As a member of the House of Representatives, James Fred Hastings participated in the legislative process, contributed to national policymaking, and worked to represent the interests of his New York constituents. He resigned from Congress on January 20, 1976, to become president of the Associated Industries trade group in Albany, New York, moving from elective office into a leadership position in the business and trade association sector.

Later in 1976, Hastings’s career was overshadowed by criminal charges arising from his time as a legislator. He was indicted for taking kickbacks from three employees while he was in office and using the funds to purchase vehicles, snowmobiles, and boats, as well as to contribute to his children’s college tuition and a New York State retirement fund. In December 1976 he was convicted of mail fraud and filing false payroll information. He subsequently served 14 months in the United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, reflecting one of the notable federal political scandals of the period and placing him among American federal politicians convicted of crimes.

After his release from prison, Hastings withdrew from public life and lived in retirement. He resided for a number of years in Belleair Beach, Florida, before returning to Allegany, New York, in 1998. James Fred Hastings died on October 24, 2014, in Allegany, New York, closing a life that encompassed military service, business leadership, local and state office, four terms in the United States Congress, and a later period marked by legal difficulties and retirement from public affairs.